Meet this Sunday Division Squad Featuring Nearly Two Thousand Top-Flight Games

Wythenshawe Vets bench during a match
This bench for Wythenshawe Veterans during a 6-2 victory versus Collegiate Old Boys on 19 October (from left to right) - Oumar Niasse, another, Marcel Edwards, Blake Norton, Maynor Figueroa, Dean Warburton and Emile Heskey

How can you enhance a outstanding experienced team that have claimed back-to-back titles, including a double triumph with 30 wins from 32 matches?

Recruit a group of former professionals who have competed at the elite tier of club football and global football as you aim for further silverware.

A Greater Manchester team has an non-professional vets squad with nine ex- Premier League players in their present squad.

222 Top Division Scores, 325 Global Caps

Wythenshawe Vets Over 35s are situated in southern the city and play in the Cheshire-based Vets Division Top Division.

The lineup this season features 9 ex- top-flight players, with a collective nearly 1,800 elite matches.

This high-profile team also boasts 222 Premier League scores and over 320 global appearances.

They feature one forward, who scored 37 scores in 117 games for Newcastle United after joining them for £9m from Bundesliga side SC Freiburg in January 2012.

Cisse made his debut for Wythenshawe in their most recent home match against defending champions their rivals and netted every one of the six goals in a six-two victory - including a half-hour opening period triple.

The squad for this campaign also includes ex- pros such as England and Liverpool striker Emile Heskey, Hull City and Burnley winger George Boyd, Toffees forward Oumar Niasse, Wigan Athletic full-back Maynor Figueroa, City pair Stephen Ireland and Nedum Onuoha and Premier League championship victors Joleon Lescott and Danny Drinkwater.

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

Household Names and International Players

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

Stephen Ireland began playing for the side in pre-season this season through close friend and present Wythenshawe teammate Blake Norton, and the former Republic of Ireland player then invited other ex-pros, who all play in a weekly small-sided game, to participate.

Former Senegal forward Oumar Niasse, who scored 12 scores in 65 top-flight matches for Everton and still attends their matches at Goodison Park, also made his debut against the opposition - who are located in Liverpool and use an Blue warm-up gear as their uniform.

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

"My friend Stephen Ireland told me 'join and play, it's enjoyable'," said the striker.

"After that he told me we were playing a team from the city and the surprise I had when I saw them sporting Everton shirts - I say this is strange for me!

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

"The people who turn up and see are pleased and to give a day if they watch us competing there and to ask us queries - it's more like the pleasure of us having a place we can play, with structure of course."

Such is the strength in depth at the club, he made his debut at defender.

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

"I tell my defender 'I'm not staying' and that I'm just going to continue attacking.

"The running is what I'm after. It's enjoyable."

Maynor Figueroa in action
Former Wigan defender Maynor Figueroa is turning out for Wythenshawe

'Surreal Feeling

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

Wythenshawe are leading of the Top Division with three victories from three and a GD of plus nineteen.

One opponent, thirty-eight, who features on the wing for the opposition, faced former Latics defender Maynor Figueroa on the weekend - and had to tell his young boy who Emile Heskey was.

Figueroa has played at two World Cups for his country, in addition to featuring in more than 200 top-flight matches.

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

"I felt I was a bit starstruck facing Figueroa to be honest.

"Even Emile [Heskey] got on and he's has over 60 England appearances.

"We competed well for a solid twenty mins but then we had a player sent off and it was tough.

"Our group really have not stopped chatting about it - I was calling my mum and sibling on the journey home.

"They were all dead sound, shaking our hands after the match - it was like playing a group of regular fellas.

"Now we can't wait for the second match."

'We'll Still Take the Title'

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

"We scored one-nil ahead and had a

Dana Case
Dana Case

Elara Vance is a seasoned sports analyst with over a decade of experience in betting markets, specializing in statistical modeling and risk management.