Discover the Sunday Division Team With Over 1,800 Premier League Games

Wythenshawe Vets bench during a match
The bench for Wythenshawe Veterans during a six-two triumph against Collegiate Old Boys on 19 October (from left to right) - one player, Papiss Cisse, a teammate, Blake Norton, Maynor Figueroa, Dean Warburton and Emile Heskey

How can you boost a excellent veteran squad who have won back-to-back titles, including a league-cup double boasting thirty wins from 32 games?

Sign a collection of ex- professionals who have played at the elite level of club and international soccer as you target further silverware.

One Greater Manchester club has an amateur vets team with nine ex- Premier League footballers in their current lineup.

Two Hundred Twenty-Two Premier League Goals, 325 Global Appearances

The team Vets Over 35s are located in south Manchester and play in the Cheshire Vets League Premier Division.

The lineup this season boasts nine ex- top-flight players, with a collective 1,801 Premier League matches.

The elite squad also includes 222 top division goals and 325 global appearances.

The squad include one forward, who scored thirty-seven scores in over 100 games for Newcastle United after signing for them for £9m from German league club Freiburg in January 2012.

Cisse made his debut for Wythenshawe in their most recent home game versus reigning title holders Collegiate Old Boys and scored all six goals in a six-two win - featuring a half-hour opening period triple.

Wythenshawe's roster for this season also features former pros such as England and Liverpool striker Emile Heskey, Hull City and Burnley FC winger George Boyd, Toffees forward Oumar Niasse, Wigan full-back Maynor Figueroa, Manchester City duo Stephen Ireland and Nedum Onuoha and Premier League championship winners Joleon Lescott and Danny Drinkwater.

Collectively, the ex- Premier League footballers have claimed fifteen significant honors and transferred for total transfer fees of around £123m.

Household Figures and International Stars

Stephen Ireland in action
Stephen Ireland earned six Irish caps, netting four scores

Ireland began turning out for the side during preseason this summer through good friend and present Wythenshawe player Blake Norton, and the ex- Irish player then asked additional former professionals, who all compete in a midweek small-sided game, to join in.

Ex- Senegalese forward Oumar Niasse, who scored 12 goals in sixty-five Premier League games for Everton and even now goes to their matches at Goodison Park, also made his first appearance versus the opposition - who are located in Liverpool and use an Blue training kit as their uniform.

Oumar Niasse playing for Everton
He played for Everton between 2016 and 2020

"My mate Stephen said 'join and play, it's a laugh'," said Niasse.

"Then he informed me we were playing a team from the city and the shock I had when I noticed them sporting Blue shirts - I thought this is wrong for me!

"If you still love football and you know you can still play, wherever you can kick a ball, what are you going to choose?

"Those spectators who come and watch are happy and to give someone's day if they see us competing there and to ask us questions - it's really about the joy of us getting somewhere we can enjoy football, with organisation of course."

Such is the squad depth at Wythenshawe, Niasse had his first game at defender.

"That's a bit different but then, I love running and just go forward - I'm not staying back that much," he said.

"I tell my defender 'I'm not hanging back' and that I'm just going to keep attacking.

"The movement is what I'm after. It's enjoyable."

Maynor Figueroa in action
Ex- Wigan full-back Maynor Figueroa is playing for Wythenshawe

'Surreal Feeling

In addition to the forward's six goals on debut, Stephen Ireland has scored 8 in 3 appearances for the side, while George Boyd hit five on his first match and Lescott, a centre-half by trade, scored a hat-trick in one match as a striker.

Wythenshawe are leading of the Premier Tier with 3 wins from 3 and a GD of plus nineteen.

Paul Barrow, 38, who features on the flank for the opposition, came up against former Latics defender Maynor Figueroa on Sunday - and had to tell his young son who Heskey was.

Figueroa has played at two World Cups for Honduras, in addition to featuring in more than 200 Premier League matches.

"The news was going round like a rumor they had all these ex-Premier League players," said the player.

"I think I was a bit awestruck facing him to be honest.

"Even Emile [Heskey] came on and he's got 60-odd England caps.

"We competed well for a good 20 mins but then we had a player dismissed and it was hard.

"Our group literally haven't stopped chatting about it - I was phoning my mother and sibling on the way home.

"The opponents were all really nice, shaking our hands after the game - it was like playing a bunch of regular guys.

"Now we can't wait for the return fixture."

'We'll Still Win the Title'

Andy Kirby coaches the Collegiate veterans side, who won the Premier Division championship last season, along with Paul Maguire.

"Our team went one-nil ahead and had a

Linda Smith
Linda Smith

A seasoned gambling journalist with over a decade of experience covering UK casinos and slot games, known for in-depth reviews.