Discover this Sunday League Team Boasting Nearly Two Thousand Top-Flight Appearances

Wythenshawe Vets bench during a match
The bench for the team Veterans during a 6-2 triumph versus Collegiate Old Boys on October 19th (left to right) - one player, Papiss Cisse, a teammate, Blake Norton, Maynor Figueroa, Dean Warburton and Emile Heskey

How can you boost a stellar veteran squad that have won back-to-back championships, featuring a league-cup double boasting 30 victories from 32 games?

Sign a raft of former professionals that have competed at the top tier of club and international football as you target additional trophies.

One Manchester club fields an amateur veterans squad with nine ex- top-flight players in their current squad.

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

The team Vets Over 35s are situated in southern the city and compete in the Cheshire Veterans Division Premier Tier.

Their squad list this season boasts nine ex- top-flight players, with a collective nearly 1,800 top-flight appearances.

This high-profile squad also boasts over 220 top division scores and over 320 international caps.

They include Papiss Cisse, who scored 37 goals in 117 games for his former club after joining them for nine million pounds from Bundesliga side SC Freiburg in January 2012.

Cisse made his debut for Wythenshawe in their last home-field game against reigning champions Collegiate Old Boys and scored every one of the six scores in a 6-2 win - featuring a half-hour opening period hat-trick.

The team for this campaign also includes former professionals such as England and Anfield striker Emile Heskey, Hull City and Burnley winger George Boyd, Everton striker Oumar Niasse, Wigan defender Maynor Figueroa, City pair Stephen Ireland and Nedum Onuoha and top-flight title victors Joleon Lescott and Danny Drinkwater.

Collectively, the former top-flight players have won fifteen big honors and moved for total transfer fees of around £123m.

Well-Known Names and Global Stars

Stephen Ireland in action
He won 6 Republic of Ireland appearances, scoring 4 scores

Stephen Ireland started turning out for the team in pre-season this summer through good friend and current team player Blake Norton, and the former Republic of Ireland midfielder then asked other ex-pros, who all compete in a midweek small-sided match, to join in.

Ex- Senegal striker Niasse, who netted 12 goals in 65 top-flight matches for the Toffees and even now attends their matches at Goodison Park, also had his first appearance versus Collegiate OB - who are located in Liverpool and wear an Everton training kit as their uniform.

Oumar Niasse playing for Everton
Oumar Niasse played for Everton from 2016 and 2020

"My friend Stephen told me 'join and play, it's enjoyable'," commented Niasse.

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

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

"Those people who come and see are happy and to give a day if they watch us competing there and to ask us queries - it's more like the joy of us getting somewhere we can enjoy football, with structure of course."

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

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

"I warn my defender 'I'm not staying' and that I'm just going to keep running.

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

Maynor Figueroa in action
Ex- Wigan Athletic full-back Maynor Figueroa is turning out for the team

'Surreal Experience

Along with the forward's six scores on his first game, Ireland has scored 8 in 3 games for Wythenshawe, while Boyd hit five on his debut match and Lescott, a centre-half by trade, notched a hat-trick in one game up front.

The team are top of the Premier Division with 3 victories from 3 and a goal difference of +19.

One opponent, 38, who features on the flank for Collegiate OB, faced former Wigan full-back Figueroa on Sunday - and had to tell his young son who Heskey was.

Figueroa has played at two World Cups for Honduras, in as well as featuring in more than 200 Premier League matches.

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

"I felt I was a little awestruck facing Figueroa to be honest.

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

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

"We really haven't stopped talking about it - I was calling my mum and brother on the journey home.

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

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

'We'll Still Take the League'

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

"Our team scored one-nil ahead and had a

Jennifer Schmidt
Jennifer Schmidt

A UK-based travel writer and cultural enthusiast who explores hidden gems and shares authentic local stories.