Introduce the Weekend League Squad Featuring Nearly Two Thousand Top-Flight Appearances

Wythenshawe Vets bench during a match
This bench for Wythenshawe Vets in a six-two win against Collegiate Old Boys 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 boost a outstanding veteran team that have claimed back-to-back championships, featuring a league-cup double with 30 victories from thirty-two games?

Recruit a group of ex- professionals who have competed at the elite tier of club and international football as you pursue more honors.

One Manchester team fields an amateur veterans team with nine ex- top-flight footballers in their active roster.

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

Wythenshawe Vets Over 35s are located in south Manchester and compete in the Cheshire-based Vets Division Premier Tier.

The squad list this campaign boasts 9 former top-flight players, with a collective 1,801 elite appearances.

This star-studded squad also includes 222 top division scores and over 320 international appearances.

They feature Papiss Cisse, who netted 37 scores in over 100 appearances for his former club after signing for them for £9m from German league club Freiburg in January 2012.

He made his debut for the team in their most recent home game against defending title holders Collegiate Old Boys and netted all six goals in a 6-2 victory - including a 32-minute opening period hat-trick.

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

In total, the former top-flight players have secured fifteen big honors and moved for total transfer fees of about £123m.

Famous Names and Global Players

Stephen Ireland in action
He won six Irish appearances, scoring 4 goals

Stephen Ireland began turning out for the team in pre-season this season through close friend and current team teammate Blake Norton, and the former Republic of Ireland player then asked additional ex-pros, who all play in a midweek small-sided game, to join in.

Ex- Senegal striker Niasse, who netted twelve goals in sixty-five Premier League matches for the Toffees and still goes to their home games, also made his debut against Collegiate OB - who are located in the city and use an Everton warm-up gear as their uniform.

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

"A mate Stephen said 'come and have a game, it's enjoyable'," commented Niasse.

"After that he told me we were playing a side from the city and the shock I had when I saw them wearing Blue shirts - I thought this is strange for me!

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

"The people who turn up and watch are happy and to give a moment if they watch us competing there and to ask us questions - it's more like the pleasure of us getting a place we can enjoy football, with structure of course."

Such is the squad depth at the club, he had his first game at full-back.

"It's a little different but then, I love sprinting and just move forward - 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 attacking.

"That movement is what I'm looking for. It's good fun."

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

Dreamlike' Experience

Along with Cisse's 6 scores on debut, Ireland has scored 8 in three games for Wythenshawe, while Boyd hit 5 on his debut appearance and Lescott, a centre-half by trade, notched a triple in one match as a striker.

The team are leading of the Premier Tier with 3 victories from 3 and a goal difference of plus nineteen.

Paul Barrow, thirty-eight, who features on the wing for the opposition, came up against former Latics defender Maynor Figueroa on the weekend - and had to tell his young son who Emile Heskey was.

He has played at two global tournaments for his country, in as well as featuring in more than two hundred Premier League games.

"It was spreading like wildfire they had all these ex-Premier League stars," remarked the player.

"I think I was a little awestruck playing against Figueroa to be honest.

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

"Our side held our own for a good 20 minutes but then we had a man sent off and it was hard.

"We really have not 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 facing a group of regular guys.

"Now we are eager for the return fixture."

'We'll Still Win the League'

Andy Kirby manages the opposition vets team, who secured the Premier Division championship the previous campaign, along with his co-manager.

"We scored one-nil ahead and had a

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