Discover the Sunday League Club Boasting Nearly Two Thousand English Top Division Appearances

Wythenshawe Vets bench during a match
This bench for Wythenshawe Veterans during a 6-2 triumph versus 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 can you boost a stellar veteran team who have won back-to-back championships, featuring a league-cup double with 30 wins from 32 games?

Recruit a group of former pro players that have played at the top tier of club football and global football as you target additional trophies.

One Manchester side boasts an non-professional veterans team with 9 former top-flight footballers in their present squad.

222 Top Division Goals, 325 International Caps

Wythenshawe Vets Over 35s are based in south the city and play in the Cheshire Vets Division Premier Tier.

Their roster this season includes 9 former Premier League players, with a total nearly 1,800 Premier League matches.

This high-profile squad also includes over 220 Premier League goals and over 320 international caps.

They include Papiss Cisse, who notched thirty-seven scores in over 100 games for his former club after moving to them for £9m from Bundesliga side SC Freiburg in 2012.

He made his first appearance for Wythenshawe in their last home match against reigning title holders Collegiate Old Boys and netted all six goals in a six-two victory - featuring a 32-minute opening period hat-trick.

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

Collectively, the ex- Premier League players have secured fifteen significant trophies and moved for combined transfer fees of approximately £123 million.

Household Figures and Global Players

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

Stephen Ireland started playing for the team during pre-season this summer through close friend and current team teammate Blake Norton, and the former Republic of Ireland player then invited other ex-pros, who all compete in a midweek nine-a-side game, to join in.

Former Senegal forward Niasse, who scored 12 goals in sixty-five top-flight games for Everton and still goes to their matches at Goodison Park, also made his first appearance against the opposition - who are located in the city and use an Blue training kit as their uniform.

Oumar Niasse playing for Everton
He featured for Everton between 2016 and 2020

"My friend Stephen Ireland said 'join and play, it's good fun'," said the striker.

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

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

"Those spectators who come and watch are happy and to make someone's day if they see us competing there and to pose us questions - it's more like the pleasure of us getting a place we can play, with organisation of course."

Such is the squad depth at Wythenshawe, Niasse made his first game at full-back.

"That's a little unusual but then, I love running and just move forward - I'm not defending that much," he said.

"I tell my defender 'I'm not staying' and that I'm just going to continue attacking.

"The movement is what I'm seeking. It's enjoyable."

Maynor Figueroa in action
Ex- Wigan defender Maynor Figueroa is turning out for Wythenshawe

'Surreal Experience

Along with Cisse's six scores on his first game, Ireland has netted 8 in 3 appearances for the side, while Boyd scored five on his debut appearance and Joleon Lescott, a centre-half by position, notched a hat-trick in one match up front.

Wythenshawe are top of the Premier Tier with three victories from three and a GD of plus nineteen.

Paul Barrow, thirty-eight, who features on the wing for the opposition, came up against ex- Latics defender Maynor Figueroa on the weekend - and had to explain his nine-year-old boy who Emile Heskey was.

He has appeared at two global tournaments for his country, in addition to playing in more than 200 top-flight games.

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

"I felt I was a bit starstruck playing against him to be honest.

"Also Heskey got on and he's got 60-odd English caps.

"Our side held our own for a solid twenty minutes but then we had a man dismissed and it was hard.

"We literally haven't stopped chatting about it - I was phoning my mum and sibling on the way home.

"They were all friendly, shaking our hands after the match - it was like facing a group of normal guys.

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

'We'll Still Win the League'

Andy Kirby manages the opposition vets side, who secured the Premier Tier title last season, together with Paul Maguire.

"Our team scored 1-0 up and had a

Matthew Morris
Matthew Morris

Elara Vance is a seasoned media analyst with over a decade of experience covering UK entertainment and digital trends.