Introduce this Weekend Division Squad Boasting Nearly Two Thousand English Top Division Appearances

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

What can you boost a stellar experienced squad who have secured back-to-back titles, featuring a double triumph boasting thirty wins from thirty-two matches?

Sign a group of former professionals that have competed at the top level of club football and international football as you pursue further trophies.

One Manchester team has an amateur veterans squad with 9 former Premier League players in their current lineup.

222 Top Division Goals, 325 Global Caps

Wythenshawe Veterans Over-35s are located in southern Manchester and compete in the Cheshire Veterans League Top Division.

Their roster this season boasts 9 former top-flight footballers, with a collective nearly 1,800 elite games.

The elite team also contains over 220 Premier League scores and over 320 global appearances.

The squad feature one forward, who scored thirty-seven goals in 117 appearances for his former club after signing for them for nine million pounds from Bundesliga club SC Freiburg in 2012.

Cisse made his first appearance for Wythenshawe in their most recent home match versus defending title holders their rivals and netted all six scores in a six-two victory - featuring a 32-minute opening period triple.

Wythenshawe's roster for this campaign also features ex- professionals such as England and Anfield striker Emile Heskey, Hull and Burnley midfielder George Boyd, Everton forward Oumar Niasse, Wigan full-back Maynor Figueroa, City pair Stephen Ireland and Nedum Onuoha and Premier League title winners Joleon Lescott and Danny Drinkwater.

Together, the former Premier League players have secured fifteen big trophies and transferred for combined transfer sums of around £123 million.

Famous Names and International Stars

Stephen Ireland in action
He won six Irish caps, netting four goals

Ireland began turning out for the team in preseason this summer through good friend and present team teammate Blake Norton, and the former Republic of Ireland player then invited additional former professionals, who all compete in a weekly small-sided match, to join in.

Former Senegal forward Oumar Niasse, who netted 12 scores in 65 top-flight matches for the Toffees and even now goes to their home games, also made his first appearance against Collegiate OB - who are based in the city and use an Blue warm-up gear as their uniform.

Oumar Niasse playing for Everton
Oumar Niasse featured for the club between 2016 and 2020

"A mate Stephen Ireland told me 'join and play, it's good fun'," commented Niasse.

"After that he informed me we were facing a side from Liverpool and the shock I had when I noticed them wearing Blue kits - I thought this is wrong for me!

"When you still enjoy the game and you know you can still play, wherever you can kick a ball, what are you going to do?

"Those fans who come and see are pleased and to make a day if they see us competing there and to ask us questions - it's really about the joy of us having a place we can enjoy football, with structure of course."

So great is the strength in depth at the club, Niasse made his first game at defender.

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

"I warn my defender 'I'm not staying' and that I'm just going to keep running.

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

Maynor Figueroa in action
Former Wigan Athletic defender Maynor Figueroa is playing for Wythenshawe

Unreal Experience

In addition to the forward's six scores on his first game, Ireland has netted eight in 3 appearances for Wythenshawe, while Boyd scored five on his first appearance and Lescott, a centre-half by position, notched a hat-trick in one game up front.

Wythenshawe are top of the Top Division with 3 wins from 3 and a GD of +19.

One opponent, 38, who plays on the flank for Collegiate OB, faced ex- Latics full-back Maynor Figueroa on Sunday - and had to tell his young boy who Heskey was.

He has played at 2 global tournaments for his country, in as well as playing in more than two hundred top-flight games.

"The news was spreading like a rumor they had these former top-flight players," said the player.

"I felt I was a bit awestruck playing against Figueroa to be honest.

"Also Heskey came on and he's has over 60 English caps.

"We held our own for a solid 20 mins but then we had a man dismissed and it was tough.

"We literally have not ceased chatting about it - I was calling my mum and brother on the journey home.

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

"Now we are eager for the second match."

We Will Still Take the Title'

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

"Our team went 1-0 ahead and had a

David Moran
David Moran

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