Introduce this Weekend League Club Featuring 1,800 Top-Flight Games

Wythenshawe Vets bench during a match
This substitutes for Wythenshawe Vets in a 6-2 victory against their opponents on October 19th (left to right) - Oumar Niasse, another, Marcel Edwards, Blake Norton, Maynor Figueroa, Dean Warburton and Emile Heskey

What do you enhance a stellar veteran side who have won back-to-back titles, featuring a league-cup double with 30 wins from thirty-two games?

Bring in a collection of former pro players who have performed at the top tier of club football and global soccer as you aim for more silverware.

A Manchester club fields an non-professional veterans team with nine former top-flight footballers in their current lineup.

222 Top Division Scores, 325 Global Appearances

The team Vets Over-35s are based in south Manchester and play in the Cheshire Vets Division Premier Division.

Their lineup this campaign features nine former top-flight players, with a combined nearly 1,800 elite matches.

This elite squad also includes over 220 top division goals and over 320 global appearances.

The squad feature one forward, who netted thirty-seven goals in over 100 appearances for his former club after signing for them for £9m from Bundesliga side SC Freiburg in January 2012.

He made his debut for the team in their most recent home-field match versus defending champions their rivals and scored all six scores in a six-two win - including a half-hour opening period hat-trick.

Wythenshawe's roster for this campaign also includes ex- professionals such as England and Liverpool striker Emile Heskey, Hull and Burnley FC winger George Boyd, Toffees forward Oumar Niasse, Wigan defender Maynor Figueroa, Manchester City duo Stephen Ireland and Nedum Onuoha and Premier League title victors Joleon Lescott and Danny Drinkwater.

Together, the ex- top-flight footballers have won fifteen significant trophies and moved for total transfer sums of approximately £123m.

Well-Known Figures and Global Players

Stephen Ireland in action
Stephen Ireland won 6 Republic of Ireland caps, scoring four goals

Ireland started turning out for the side during preseason this summer through close friend and present Wythenshawe teammate Blake Norton, and the former Irish midfielder then asked additional former professionals, who all compete in a midweek nine-a-side match, to join in.

Former Senegal striker Oumar Niasse, who scored 12 scores in 65 Premier League matches for Everton and even now goes to their matches at Goodison Park, also made his debut against the opposition - who are located in Liverpool and use an Blue training kit as their uniform.

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

"My friend Stephen said 'join and play, it's a laugh'," said Niasse.

"Then he informed me we were facing a team from the city and the surprise I had when I noticed them wearing Blue kits - I thought this is wrong for me!

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

"The spectators who come and see are happy and to make a day if they watch us competing there and to ask us queries - it's really about the pleasure of us having a place we can play, with structure of course."

Such is the strength in depth at the club, he had his debut at defender.

"It's a bit different but then, I enjoy sprinting and just move inside - I'm not staying back that much," he said.

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

"That running is what I'm seeking. It's enjoyable."

Maynor Figueroa in action
Former Wigan Athletic defender Maynor Figueroa is playing for the team

'Surreal Experience

In addition to the forward's six scores on debut, Stephen Ireland has scored 8 in 3 games for Wythenshawe, while Boyd scored five on his debut appearance and Lescott, a defender by position, scored a hat-trick in one match up front.

The team are top of the Top Tier with 3 wins from 3 and a GD of +19.

One opponent, thirty-eight, who plays on the wing for Collegiate OB, came up against ex- Wigan full-back Maynor Figueroa on the weekend - and had to explain his young son who Emile Heskey was.

Figueroa has appeared at 2 World Cups for Honduras, in as well as featuring in more than 200 top-flight games.

"The news was going round like a rumor they had these ex-Premier League stars," remarked the player.

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

"Even Heskey came on and he's got 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 literally haven't stopped chatting about it - I was calling my mum and brother on the journey home.

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

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

'We'll Still Take the Title'

The manager coaches the opposition veterans side, who secured the Top Tier title last season, along with Paul Maguire.

"We scored one-nil up and had a

Kimberly Mitchell
Kimberly Mitchell

A Prague-based journalist passionate about Czech culture and current affairs, with over a decade of experience in media.

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