Discover the Weekend League Squad With Nearly Two Thousand Top-Flight Matches

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

How can you boost a stellar experienced team that have secured back-to-back championships, featuring a league-cup double boasting thirty wins from 32 matches?

Bring in a collection of former pro players who have played at the elite level of club and international football as you pursue further trophies.

One Manchester club fields an non-professional veterans squad with 9 former Premier League footballers in their present lineup.

Two Hundred Twenty-Two Top Division Scores, 325 International Caps

Wythenshawe Vets Over-35s are based in southern Manchester and compete in the Cheshire Vets League Premier Division.

Their lineup this campaign boasts 9 former Premier League footballers, with a total nearly 1,800 Premier League appearances.

The high-profile squad also contains 222 top division goals and over 320 international appearances.

They include one forward, who netted 37 goals in 117 appearances for his former club after moving to them for £9m from German league club Freiburg in January 2012.

He made his first appearance for the team in their most recent home match against reigning title holders Collegiate Old Boys and netted every one of the six scores in a 6-2 win - including a half-hour first-half hat-trick.

The squad for this season also features ex- professionals such as English and Liverpool forward Emile Heskey, Hull City and Burnley FC midfielder George Boyd, Everton forward Oumar Niasse, Wigan full-back Maynor Figueroa, Manchester City pair Stephen Ireland and Nedum Onuoha and top-flight title victors Joleon Lescott and Danny Drinkwater.

In total, the ex- top-flight footballers have won 15 major trophies and transferred for combined transfer sums of around £123m.

Famous Names and Global Stars

Stephen Ireland in action
He earned 6 Irish appearances, netting four scores

Stephen Ireland started playing for the side during pre-season this season through close friend and present Wythenshawe teammate Blake Norton, and the former Republic of Ireland midfielder then asked other ex-pros, who all play in a midweek small-sided game, to join in.

Former Senegal forward Oumar Niasse, who scored 12 goals in sixty-five top-flight games for Everton and even now attends their matches at Goodison Park, also had his debut versus the opposition - who are based in the city and wear an Everton warm-up gear as their strip.

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

"My mate Stephen Ireland said 'join and have a game, it's enjoyable'," commented Niasse.

"After that he told me we were facing a side from the city and the surprise I had when I noticed 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 spectators who turn up and see are happy and to make a moment if they watch us competing there and to pose us queries - it's really about the joy of us getting a place we can enjoy football, with organisation of course."

Such is the bench strength at the club, he had his first game at defender.

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

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

"That movement is what I'm seeking. It's enjoyable."

Maynor Figueroa in action
Former Wigan full-back Maynor Figueroa is turning out for Wythenshawe

'Surreal Feeling

In addition to the forward's 6 scores on debut, Ireland has scored 8 in 3 appearances for Wythenshawe, while George Boyd hit 5 on his first match and Joleon Lescott, a defender by position, scored a triple in one match as a striker.

The team are top of the Premier Division with three victories from three and a GD of plus nineteen.

One opponent, 38, who features on the flank for Collegiate OB, came up against former Latics full-back Maynor Figueroa on the weekend - and had to explain his young son who Heskey was.

Figueroa has played at 2 World Cups for Honduras, in addition to playing in over two hundred Premier League matches.

"The news was going round like wildfire they had these ex-Premier League players," remarked Barrow.

"I think I was a bit starstruck playing against Figueroa to be honest.

"Even Heskey got on and he's has 60-odd English appearances.

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

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

"They 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 second fixture."

We Will Still Win the League'

Andy Kirby coaches the opposition veterans side, who secured the Premier Division championship the previous campaign, along with Paul Maguire.

"We went 1-0 ahead and had a

Kathleen Leach
Kathleen Leach

Elara Vance is a seasoned journalist and community storyteller with over a decade of experience covering local and global events.