Discover this Weekend League Club With 1,800 Premier League Appearances

Wythenshawe Vets bench during a match
This substitutes for Wythenshawe Veterans in a six-two triumph versus their opponents on October 19th (left to right) - Oumar Niasse, Papiss Cisse, a teammate, Blake Norton, Maynor Figueroa, Dean Warburton and Emile Heskey

How do you boost a outstanding veteran team that have won back-to-back titles, featuring a double triumph with 30 wins from 32 games?

Recruit a collection of former professionals that have performed at the elite level of club and global soccer as you target additional honors.

One Manchester side fields an amateur vets squad with 9 ex- top-flight players in their active lineup.

Two Hundred Twenty-Two Premier League Goals, Three Hundred Twenty-Five Global Appearances

The team Vets Over-35s are located in south Manchester and play in the Cheshire Veterans Division Top Division.

The lineup this season features nine former Premier League players, with a collective 1,801 top-flight games.

This star-studded team also includes over 220 top division scores and 325 international caps.

They feature Papiss Cisse, who netted 37 scores in over 100 games for his former club after joining them for nine million pounds from Bundesliga club SC Freiburg in 2012.

He had his first appearance for the team in their last home-field match versus defending title holders their rivals and scored every one of the six scores in a six-two win - featuring a 32-minute opening period triple.

The roster for this season also features ex- pros such as English and Liverpool striker Emile Heskey, Hull City and Burnley midfielder George Boyd, Everton forward Oumar Niasse, Wigan full-back Maynor Figueroa, Manchester City pair Stephen Ireland and Nedum Onuoha and Premier League championship winners Joleon Lescott and Danny Drinkwater.

In total, the former Premier League players have secured fifteen big honors and moved for total transfer sums of around £123m.

Household Names and International Stars

Stephen Ireland in action
Stephen Ireland won 6 Republic of Ireland appearances, netting four scores

Stephen Ireland started playing for the team during pre-season this season through close friend and present Wythenshawe player Blake Norton, and the former Republic of Ireland midfielder then asked other ex-pros, who all compete in a midweek nine-a-side game, to participate.

Former Senegalese striker Oumar Niasse, who scored 12 scores in 65 top-flight matches for Everton and even now goes to their home games, also made his debut versus the opposition - who are located in Liverpool and wear an Blue warm-up gear as their uniform.

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

"A mate Stephen Ireland said 'join and have a game, it's good fun'," commented Niasse.

"Then he told me we were playing a team from Liverpool and the surprise I had when I noticed them wearing Blue kits - I say this is strange for me!

"When you still enjoy the game and you know you can still do it, anywhere you can play, what are you going to do?

"Those spectators who turn up and watch are pleased and to give a moment if they watch us playing there and to pose us queries - it's more like the pleasure of us having somewhere we can enjoy football, with structure of course."

Such is the squad depth at the club, he had his first game at full-back.

"That's a bit unusual but then, I love sprinting and just move inside - I'm not staying back that much," he added.

"I warn my centre-back 'I'm not hanging back' and that I'm just going to continue running.

"The movement 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

Along with the forward's 6 scores on debut, Ireland has netted eight in 3 games for the side, while Boyd hit 5 on his first match and Joleon Lescott, a defender by trade, notched a triple in one game up front.

The team are leading of the Top Division with 3 wins from three and a goal difference of +19.

Paul Barrow, 38, who features on the flank for Collegiate OB, faced former Wigan full-back Maynor Figueroa on Sunday - and had to tell his young son who Heskey was.

He has appeared at 2 World Cups for Honduras, in addition to featuring in more than 200 top-flight games.

"The news was spreading like a rumor they had all these former top-flight players," remarked Barrow.

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

"Even Heskey came on and he's has over 60 England appearances.

"We held our own for a solid twenty minutes but then we had a player sent off and it was tough.

"We really haven't ceased talking about it - I was phoning my mother and sibling on the journey home.

"The opponents were all friendly, shaking our hands after the game - it was like facing a bunch of normal fellas.

"Now we are eager for the return match."

'We'll Still Take the Title'

Andy Kirby coaches the Collegiate veterans team, who secured the Premier Division championship last season, together with his co-manager.

"We scored one-nil up and had a

Stephen Foster
Stephen Foster

A seasoned sports analyst with a decade of experience in betting strategies and odds analysis.