Introduce this Sunday Division Squad With Over 1,800 Premier League Appearances

Wythenshawe Vets bench during a match
The bench for the team Veterans in a 6-2 triumph against Collegiate Old Boys on October 19th (from left to right) - one player, Papiss Cisse, Marcel Edwards, Blake Norton, Maynor Figueroa, Dean Warburton and Emile Heskey

What can you enhance a outstanding experienced squad who have claimed consecutive titles, including a double triumph with 30 victories from thirty-two games?

Bring in a group of former pro players that have performed at the elite tier of club and international soccer as you aim for additional silverware.

One Manchester club has an amateur veterans team with 9 former Premier League footballers in their active lineup.

222 Top Division Goals, Three Hundred Twenty-Five Global Appearances

Wythenshawe Veterans Over 35s are located in south the city and compete in the Cheshire Veterans Division Premier Tier.

Their squad list this season features 9 former Premier League footballers, with a total 1,801 top-flight matches.

This star-studded team also contains over 220 top division scores and over 320 international appearances.

The squad include one forward, who netted 37 goals in over 100 games for his former club after signing for them for nine million pounds from German league club Freiburg in January 2012.

Cisse made his debut for the team in their most recent home-field game versus defending champions Collegiate Old Boys and scored every one of the six goals in a six-two victory - including a half-hour opening period triple.

The squad for this campaign also features ex- professionals such as England and Anfield striker Emile Heskey, Hull and Burnley FC winger George Boyd, Everton forward Oumar Niasse, Wigan Athletic defender Maynor Figueroa, Manchester City duo Stephen Ireland and Nedum Onuoha and Premier League championship victors Joleon Lescott and Danny Drinkwater.

Collectively, the former top-flight players have won fifteen major honors and moved for total transfer sums of around £123 million.

Well-Known Figures and International Stars

Stephen Ireland in action
Stephen Ireland won six Republic of Ireland caps, netting four scores

Ireland began turning out for the team in pre-season this summer through close mate and present Wythenshawe teammate Blake Norton, and the ex- Irish midfielder then invited additional former professionals, who all play in a weekly nine-a-side match, to participate.

Former Senegal striker Oumar Niasse, who netted twelve scores in sixty-five Premier League games for the Toffees and still attends their matches at Goodison Park, also made his first appearance against Collegiate OB - who are located in Liverpool and wear an Everton training kit as their uniform.

Oumar Niasse playing for Everton
He featured for Everton from 2016 and 2020

"My friend Stephen said 'come and play, it's enjoyable'," commented Niasse.

"Then he informed me we were facing a team from the city and the shock I had when I saw them sporting Blue shirts - I say this is strange for me!

"If you still enjoy football and you know you can still do it, wherever you can kick a ball, what are you going to do?

"Those people who turn up and see are happy and to give someone's day if they see us playing there and to ask us queries - it's more like the pleasure of us having a place we can play, with organisation of course."

So great is the squad depth at Wythenshawe, Niasse made his debut at full-back.

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

"I tell my defender 'I'm not staying' and that I'm just going to continue attacking.

"The running is what I'm after. It's good fun."

Maynor Figueroa in action
Ex- Wigan Athletic defender Maynor Figueroa is playing for Wythenshawe

'Surreal Feeling

In addition to Cisse's six scores on debut, Ireland has scored eight in three appearances for Wythenshawe, while George Boyd hit five on his debut match and Lescott, a centre-half by position, notched a triple in one game as a striker.

Wythenshawe are top of the Top Tier with 3 wins from three and a goal difference of +19.

Paul Barrow, 38, who plays on the wing for Collegiate OB, faced former Wigan defender Figueroa on the weekend - and had to tell his nine-year-old son who Emile Heskey was.

Figueroa has appeared at 2 World Cups for his country, in addition to featuring in more than two hundred top-flight games.

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

"I felt I was a little starstruck facing Figueroa to be honest.

"Also Heskey came on and he's has 60-odd English appearances.

"Our side competed well for a solid 20 minutes but then we had a man sent off and it was hard.

"Our group really have not ceased talking about it - I was phoning my mother and brother on the journey home.

"The opponents were all dead sound, shaking our hands after the match - it was like playing a bunch of normal fellas.

"Now we are eager for the second fixture."

'We'll Still Take the Title'

The manager manages the Collegiate veterans side, who secured the Top Division title last season, together with Paul Maguire.

"Our team scored 1-0 ahead and had a

Lauren Anderson
Lauren Anderson

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