Meet the Sunday Division Team With Over 1,800 English Top Division Appearances

Wythenshawe Vets bench during a match
The substitutes for Wythenshawe Veterans in a six-two triumph versus their opponents on October 19th (from left to right) - Oumar Niasse, Papiss Cisse, Marcel Edwards, Blake Norton, Maynor Figueroa, Dean Warburton and Emile Heskey

What do you boost a stellar veteran side who have claimed consecutive championships, including a league-cup double boasting thirty wins from 32 matches?

Recruit a collection of former pro players that have competed at the highest tier of club and global football as you pursue more honors.

One Greater Manchester club fields an non-professional veterans team with nine former Premier League footballers in their active lineup.

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

The team Veterans Over 35s are located in southern the city and compete in the Cheshire-based Veterans League Premier Division.

The roster this season boasts nine ex- top-flight footballers, with a combined nearly 1,800 Premier League matches.

This star-studded squad also contains over 220 top division goals and 325 global caps.

The squad include Papiss Cisse, who notched thirty-seven scores in over 100 appearances for his former club after joining them for nine million pounds from German league club Freiburg in 2012.

He had his first appearance for the team in their most recent home-field match versus reigning title holders their rivals and netted every one of the six goals in a six-two win - featuring a half-hour opening period hat-trick.

The roster for this season also features former professionals such as England and Anfield forward Emile Heskey, Hull City and Burnley midfielder George Boyd, Everton forward Oumar Niasse, Wigan Athletic defender Maynor Figueroa, City duo Stephen Ireland and Nedum Onuoha and Premier League championship winners Joleon Lescott and Danny Drinkwater.

In total, the ex- Premier League footballers have claimed fifteen significant honors and moved for total transfer fees of approximately £123m.

Household Names and Global Stars

Stephen Ireland in action
Stephen Ireland earned 6 Republic of Ireland caps, netting four scores

Stephen Ireland started turning out for the team in pre-season this summer through close friend and current team player Blake Norton, and the former Republic of Ireland midfielder then invited other ex-pros, who all play in a weekly nine-a-side match, to join in.

Ex- Senegalese striker Niasse, who scored 12 goals in sixty-five Premier League games for Everton and even now attends their matches at Goodison Park, also made his first appearance against Collegiate OB - who are based in Liverpool and wear an Everton warm-up gear as their uniform.

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

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

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

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

"Those people who turn up and see are pleased and to make someone's moment if they see us playing there and to pose us queries - it's more like the pleasure of us getting a place we can play, with structure of course."

Such is the squad depth at Wythenshawe, he had his debut at full-back.

"That's a bit unusual but then, I enjoy sprinting and just go forward - I'm not staying back that much," he said.

"I warn my centre-back 'I'm not staying' and that I'm just going to continue attacking.

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

Maynor Figueroa in action
Former Wigan defender Maynor Figueroa is turning out for the team

Unreal Feeling

In addition to Cisse's 6 scores on his first game, Ireland has netted eight in 3 appearances for Wythenshawe, while George Boyd hit 5 on his debut match and Joleon Lescott, a defender by trade, notched a triple in one game up front.

Wythenshawe are leading of the Premier Division with three wins from 3 and a goal difference of +19.

Paul Barrow, thirty-eight, who plays on the flank for Collegiate OB, faced former Latics defender Maynor Figueroa on the weekend - and had to tell his young son who Emile Heskey was.

He has appeared at two global tournaments for his country, in as well as playing in more than 200 Premier League matches.

"It was going round like wildfire they had these ex-Premier League players," remarked the player.

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

"Also Heskey came on and he's has over 60 England appearances.

"Our side competed well for a solid 20 mins but then we had a man dismissed and it was tough.

"Our group literally have not ceased talking about it - I was phoning my mother and brother on the way home.

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

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

We Will Still Take the Title'

The manager coaches the Collegiate veterans side, who won the Premier Division championship the previous campaign, together with his co-manager.

"Our team scored one-nil ahead and had a

Brian Murphy
Brian Murphy

Sports betting analyst with 10+ years experience, specializing in European football odds and data-driven predictions.