Meet the Weekend League Squad Boasting Nearly Two Thousand Top-Flight Matches

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

What can you enhance a outstanding experienced squad that have claimed back-to-back titles, including a double triumph with 30 victories from 32 matches?

Recruit a group of ex- pro players that have competed at the elite level of club and global soccer as you target more honors.

One Greater Manchester club boasts an non-professional vets team with 9 former top-flight footballers in their present lineup.

Two Hundred Twenty-Two Premier League Scores, 325 International Appearances

Wythenshawe Vets Over-35s are based in south Manchester and play in the Cheshire-based Veterans League Premier Division.

Their roster this season features 9 ex- Premier League footballers, with a combined 1,801 Premier League games.

This star-studded roster also contains 222 top division goals and 325 global caps.

They include one forward, who notched 37 goals in 117 appearances for Newcastle United after joining them for nine million pounds from German league side SC Freiburg in January 2012.

Cisse made his first appearance for the team in their most recent home-field game versus defending champions their rivals and netted all six scores in a 6-2 win - including a half-hour opening period hat-trick.

The roster for this season also includes former professionals such as English and Liverpool striker Emile Heskey, Hull and Burnley FC winger George Boyd, Toffees striker Oumar Niasse, Wigan Athletic defender Maynor Figueroa, City duo Stephen Ireland and Nedum Onuoha and Premier League championship winners Joleon Lescott and Danny Drinkwater.

Collectively, the former top-flight footballers have claimed fifteen major honors and moved for total transfer sums of approximately £123m.

Well-Known Figures and Global Players

Stephen Ireland in action
He earned 6 Republic of Ireland appearances, scoring four scores

Ireland began turning out for the side during pre-season this season through good mate and current Wythenshawe player Blake Norton, and the ex- Republic of Ireland player then invited other ex-pros, who all play in a midweek nine-a-side game, to participate.

Former Senegalese striker Oumar Niasse, who netted 12 goals in 65 top-flight matches for the Toffees and even now goes to their matches at Goodison Park, also made his first appearance against Collegiate OB - who are based in the city and use an Everton warm-up gear as their uniform.

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

"A friend Stephen Ireland told me 'join and have a game, it's a laugh'," said the striker.

"After that he informed me we were playing a team from the city and the surprise I had when I noticed them sporting Blue shirts - I thought this is wrong for me!

"If you still love football and you know you can still play, wherever you can kick a ball, what are you going to do?

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

So great is the strength in depth at Wythenshawe, Niasse had his debut at full-back.

"That's a bit unusual but then, I love running and just go forward - I'm not defending that much," he said.

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

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

Maynor Figueroa in action
Former Wigan Athletic full-back Maynor Figueroa is playing for the team

'Surreal Scenario

Along with the forward's six scores on his first game, Ireland has netted eight in 3 games for the side, while George Boyd scored five on his debut match and Joleon Lescott, a centre-half by trade, scored a triple in one game up front.

Wythenshawe are leading of the Premier Division with three victories from three and a GD of +19.

Paul Barrow, thirty-eight, who features on the flank for the opposition, faced former Latics defender Maynor Figueroa on the weekend - and had to tell his nine-year-old son who Emile Heskey was.

He has played at 2 World Cups for his country, in addition to playing in over 200 top-flight matches.

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

"I think I was a little starstruck facing Figueroa to be honest.

"Even Heskey came on and he's got 60-odd English caps.

"Our side competed well for a solid 20 mins but then we had a man sent off and it was hard.

"Our group literally haven't ceased talking about it - I was calling my mum and brother on the journey home.

"The opponents were all really nice, shaking our hands after the match - it was like playing a group of regular fellas.

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

'We'll Still Take the Title'

The manager manages the opposition veterans side, who won the Premier Division title last season, together with his co-manager.

"We went 1-0 up and had a

Sierra Mitchell
Sierra Mitchell

Lena Visser is a Dutch photographer and writer with a passion for landscape and street photography.