Meet the Sunday League Team Boasting 1,800 Premier League Appearances

Wythenshawe Vets bench during a match
This bench for Wythenshawe Vets during a six-two win against Collegiate Old Boys on October 19th (left to right) - Oumar Niasse, Papiss Cisse, a teammate, Blake Norton, Maynor Figueroa, Dean Warburton and Emile Heskey

How do you enhance a excellent veteran side that have secured back-to-back titles, including a double triumph boasting thirty victories from 32 matches?

Bring in a raft of ex- pro players who have competed at the top tier of club and global football as you target more trophies.

One Greater Manchester club boasts an amateur veterans team with nine former Premier League players in their active roster.

222 Top Division Scores, 325 Global Appearances

The team Veterans Over-35s are situated in southern Manchester and compete in the Cheshire Vets League Top Division.

Their lineup this campaign features nine former top-flight players, with a total 1,801 elite games.

The high-profile roster also contains over 220 Premier League scores and over 320 global appearances.

The squad include Papiss Cisse, who netted thirty-seven goals in 117 appearances for his former club after joining them for £9m from Bundesliga club SC Freiburg in 2012.

Cisse had his debut for the team in their last home game versus defending champions their rivals and netted every one of the six goals in a six-two win - featuring a half-hour first-half hat-trick.

Wythenshawe's team for this season also features former professionals such as English and Anfield forward Emile Heskey, Hull and Burnley winger George Boyd, Everton forward Oumar Niasse, Wigan defender Maynor Figueroa, City duo Stephen Ireland and Nedum Onuoha and top-flight championship winners Joleon Lescott and Danny Drinkwater.

Collectively, the ex- top-flight footballers have claimed fifteen major honors and moved for total transfer sums of around £123 million.

Famous Figures and Global Stars

Stephen Ireland in action
Stephen Ireland earned six Republic of Ireland appearances, netting four goals

Stephen Ireland started playing for the side during pre-season this season through close friend and present team teammate Blake Norton, and the ex- Irish player then invited other former professionals, who all compete in a weekly nine-a-side game, to join in.

Ex- Senegalese forward Oumar Niasse, who netted twelve scores in 65 top-flight games for Everton and even now attends their home games, also made his debut against the opposition - who are located in Liverpool and wear an Everton warm-up gear as their uniform.

Oumar Niasse playing for Everton
He featured for the club from 2016 and 2020

"A friend Stephen said 'come and have a game, it's a laugh'," said the striker.

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

"If you still love the game and you know you can still play, wherever you can play, what are you going to choose?

"Those fans who turn up and see are happy and to give someone's moment if they watch us playing 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 had his first game at full-back.

"That's a bit unusual but then, I enjoy sprinting and just move 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 continue running.

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

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

Dreamlike' Experience

In addition to Cisse's 6 goals on his first game, Ireland has netted 8 in three games for the side, while Boyd hit five on his debut match and Lescott, a defender by position, notched a triple in one match as a striker.

Wythenshawe are top of the Top Division with 3 victories from 3 and a GD of plus nineteen.

One opponent, thirty-eight, who plays on the flank for Collegiate OB, came up against ex- Wigan full-back Maynor Figueroa on Sunday - and had to tell his nine-year-old boy who Heskey was.

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

"The news was spreading like a rumor they had all these ex-Premier League stars," remarked Barrow.

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

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

"We held our own for a solid twenty mins but then we had a player sent off and it was hard.

"Our group really haven't stopped talking about it - I was calling my mother and sibling on the journey home.

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

"Now we are eager for the second match."

We Will Still Win the League'

Andy Kirby manages the opposition vets side, who secured the Top Tier championship the previous campaign, along with Paul Maguire.

"We went 1-0 ahead and had a

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