Meet the Weekend Division Team With 1,800 English Top Division Matches

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

What do you enhance a outstanding veteran side that have secured back-to-back championships, featuring a double triumph with 30 wins from 32 matches?

Bring in a collection of ex- professionals that have performed at the elite tier of club football and global soccer as you aim for more silverware.

One Greater Manchester side has an amateur veterans team with 9 former top-flight footballers in their current lineup.

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

The team Vets Over 35s are located in south the city and play in the Cheshire-based Veterans League Top Tier.

The roster this season features nine former Premier League players, with a combined over 1,800 top-flight appearances.

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

They include one forward, who netted thirty-seven goals in over 100 appearances for Newcastle United after joining them for £9m from German league club Freiburg in 2012.

He made his debut for the team in their last home-field game versus defending champions Collegiate Old Boys and netted every one of the six goals in a six-two victory - featuring a 32-minute opening period hat-trick.

The roster for this season also includes former pros such as English and Liverpool striker Emile Heskey, Hull and Burnley FC winger George Boyd, Toffees forward Oumar Niasse, Wigan Athletic defender Maynor Figueroa, Manchester City duo Stephen Ireland and Nedum Onuoha and top-flight championship victors Joleon Lescott and Danny Drinkwater.

Collectively, the ex- top-flight players have won 15 big trophies and transferred for total transfer fees of about £123m.

Household Figures and International Players

Stephen Ireland in action
He earned 6 Republic of Ireland caps, netting four goals

Stephen Ireland started turning out for the side during pre-season this summer through close mate and present team player Blake Norton, and the ex- Republic of Ireland player then invited additional former professionals, who all compete in a weekly nine-a-side game, to join in.

Former Senegalese forward Oumar Niasse, who scored 12 scores in 65 Premier League games for Everton and even now attends their home games, also had his debut versus the opposition - who are located in the city and wear an Everton training kit as their uniform.

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

"A friend Stephen told me 'come and play, it's good fun'," said Niasse.

"After that he told me we were facing a team from Liverpool and the surprise I had when I noticed them wearing Blue shirts - I say this is strange for me!

"If you still enjoy football and you feel you can still do it, wherever you can play, what are you going to do?

"The spectators who turn up and watch are happy and to make a day if they see us competing there and to ask us questions - it's more like the pleasure of us having somewhere we can play, with organisation of course."

Such is the bench strength at Wythenshawe, Niasse had his first game at defender.

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

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

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

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

Unreal Scenario

In addition to the forward's six goals on his first game, Ireland has scored eight in three games for the side, while George Boyd hit 5 on his first appearance and Lescott, a centre-half by position, notched a triple in one match as a striker.

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

Paul Barrow, 38, who plays on the flank for the opposition, came up against former Latics defender Figueroa on the weekend - and had to tell his nine-year-old son who Heskey was.

He has appeared at two global tournaments for his country, in as well as featuring in over two hundred top-flight matches.

"The news was spreading like wildfire they had these ex-Premier League stars," said the player.

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

"Also Heskey came on and he's got over 60 English appearances.

"We competed well for a good twenty minutes but then we had a man sent off and it was hard.

"We really have not stopped chatting about it - I was phoning my mum and brother on the journey home.

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

"Now we can't wait for the return fixture."

We Will Still Win the Title'

The manager manages the Collegiate vets team, who won the Premier Division title the previous campaign, along with Paul Maguire.

"We scored 1-0 up and had a

David Mejia
David Mejia

A materials scientist specializing in plasma applications with over 15 years of industry experience.