Introduce this Sunday Division Club Boasting Over 1,800 Top-Flight Appearances

Wythenshawe Vets bench during a match
This bench for the team Vets in a six-two triumph versus Collegiate Old Boys on 19 October (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 side that have claimed consecutive championships, including a league-cup double with 30 wins from thirty-two matches?

Recruit a group of ex- professionals that have played at the top level of club and international soccer as you pursue more trophies.

One Greater Manchester side fields an amateur vets squad with nine ex- Premier League footballers in their active roster.

222 Top Division Scores, 325 International Appearances

The team Veterans Over-35s are located in south Manchester and compete in the Cheshire Vets Division Top Tier.

The squad list this season includes nine ex- top-flight footballers, with a collective nearly 1,800 elite matches.

The star-studded roster also boasts 222 top division goals and 325 international caps.

The squad include one forward, who notched 37 scores in over 100 games for Newcastle United after joining them for £9m from Bundesliga club SC Freiburg in 2012.

Cisse had his debut for the team in their last home-field match versus reigning champions their rivals and scored all six scores in a six-two win - including a half-hour opening period triple.

The roster for this season also includes ex- professionals such as England and Anfield forward Emile Heskey, Hull and Burnley FC midfielder George Boyd, Toffees forward Oumar Niasse, Wigan Athletic defender Maynor Figueroa, City pair Stephen Ireland and Nedum Onuoha and Premier League championship victors Joleon Lescott and Danny Drinkwater.

Collectively, the ex- top-flight players have secured fifteen big trophies and moved for total transfer sums of approximately £123m.

Household Figures and International Players

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

Ireland started turning out for the side during pre-season this season through good mate and current team teammate Blake Norton, and the former Irish midfielder then invited other ex-pros, who all compete in a midweek small-sided match, to participate.

Ex- Senegal forward Niasse, who scored twelve goals in 65 top-flight matches for Everton and even now goes to their home games, also had his debut against the opposition - who are based in the city and wear an Everton warm-up gear as their strip.

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

"A mate Stephen told me 'join and play, it's a laugh'," said Niasse.

"After that he informed me we were facing a side from the city and the shock I had when I saw them wearing Everton shirts - I say this is strange for me!

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

"Those fans who turn up and watch are pleased and to give someone's moment if they see us competing there and to ask us questions - it's more like the pleasure of us having somewhere we can play, with structure of course."

So great is the strength in depth at Wythenshawe, he made his first game at full-back.

"That's a little different but then, I enjoy running and just move inside - I'm not staying back that much," he added.

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

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

Maynor Figueroa in action
Ex- Wigan Athletic defender Maynor Figueroa is playing for Wythenshawe

'Surreal Scenario

In addition to the forward's six scores on his first game, Ireland has netted eight in three games for the side, while George Boyd scored five on his debut appearance and Joleon Lescott, a defender by position, notched a hat-trick in one match up front.

The team are leading of the Premier Division with 3 victories from 3 and a GD of +19.

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

Figueroa has appeared at 2 World Cups for Honduras, in addition to playing in more than two hundred top-flight games.

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

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

"Also Heskey came on and he's got over 60 England caps.

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

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

"They were all really nice, shaking our hands after the game - it was like facing a group of regular fellas.

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

We Will Still Take the League'

Andy Kirby manages the opposition veterans team, who won the Premier Division title the previous campaign, together with Paul Maguire.

"Our team went 1-0 ahead and had a

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Lori Johnson

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