Introduce the Weekend Division Team With Nearly Two Thousand Top-Flight Appearances

Wythenshawe Vets bench during a match
This substitutes for the team Vets during a 6-2 victory versus their opponents on October 19th (from left to right) - Oumar Niasse, Papiss Cisse, a teammate, Blake Norton, Maynor Figueroa, Dean Warburton and Emile Heskey

What do you enhance a stellar veteran squad who have claimed back-to-back championships, featuring a league-cup double with 30 victories from 32 games?

Recruit a group of ex- pro players who have competed at the elite tier of club football and international football as you target more trophies.

One Manchester club has an amateur veterans squad with 9 ex- top-flight footballers in their current roster.

Two Hundred Twenty-Two Premier League Scores, Three Hundred Twenty-Five International Caps

Wythenshawe Veterans Over 35s are situated in southern Manchester and play in the Cheshire Veterans Division Premier Division.

The squad list this season includes nine former top-flight footballers, with a combined 1,801 elite games.

This star-studded team also contains 222 Premier League goals and 325 global appearances.

The squad feature Papiss Cisse, who scored 37 scores in 117 appearances for his former club after signing for them for ÂŁ9m from Bundesliga side SC Freiburg in 2012.

Cisse had his debut for Wythenshawe in their last home-field match against reigning champions their rivals and scored all six scores in a six-two victory - including a 32-minute opening period hat-trick.

The roster for this season also includes ex- professionals such as English and Anfield striker Emile Heskey, Hull and Burnley FC winger George Boyd, Toffees striker Oumar Niasse, Wigan Athletic 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 players have claimed 15 major trophies and moved for combined transfer sums of around ÂŁ123m.

Household Names and International Stars

Stephen Ireland in action
He earned 6 Republic of Ireland caps, netting 4 scores

Stephen Ireland began turning out for the team during pre-season this summer through good friend and present Wythenshawe player Blake Norton, and the ex- Irish midfielder then asked additional former professionals, who all play in a midweek nine-a-side match, to join in.

Former Senegal striker Oumar Niasse, who netted 12 scores in 65 Premier League matches for Everton and still goes to their home games, also made his debut against the opposition - who are based in the city and wear an Everton training kit as their strip.

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

"My friend Stephen Ireland said 'join and play, it's good fun'," said the striker.

"Then he told me we were facing a side from the city and the surprise I had when I saw them wearing Blue kits - I say this is strange for me!

"When you still love football and you know you can still do it, wherever you can play, what are you going to do?

"Those fans who come and watch are pleased and to give someone's moment if they watch us competing there and to pose us queries - it's really about the pleasure of us having somewhere we can play, with structure of course."

Such is the strength in depth at Wythenshawe, Niasse made his first game at full-back.

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

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

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

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

'Surreal Experience

In addition to the forward's six goals on his first game, Ireland has netted 8 in three games for the side, while George Boyd scored five on his debut appearance and Joleon Lescott, a defender by trade, notched a hat-trick in one match as a striker.

The team are top of the Top Division with 3 victories from 3 and a GD of plus nineteen.

One opponent, 38, who plays on the wing for the opposition, faced former Latics full-back Maynor Figueroa on Sunday - and had to tell his nine-year-old boy who Heskey was.

Figueroa has played at two global tournaments for his country, in as well as featuring in over two hundred Premier League games.

"It was spreading like a rumor they had these former top-flight players," remarked the player.

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

"Also Heskey got on and he's has over 60 England caps.

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

"Our group really haven't ceased chatting about it - I was calling my mum and sibling on the journey home.

"They were all friendly, shaking our hands after the game - it was like playing a group of regular guys.

"Now we are eager for the return fixture."

'We'll Still Take the Title'

The manager coaches the opposition veterans team, who won the Top Tier championship last season, along with his co-manager.

"Our team went 1-0 up and had a

Melissa Young
Melissa Young

Elena Vance is a gaming analyst with over a decade of experience in casino strategy and online gaming trends, sharing actionable insights for players.