Discover the Weekend League Team Featuring Over 1,800 English Top Division Appearances

Wythenshawe Vets bench during a match
The bench for the team Vets in a 6-2 triumph against their opponents on October 19th (from left to right) - one player, Papiss Cisse, a teammate, Blake Norton, Maynor Figueroa, Dean Warburton and Emile Heskey

How do you improve a stellar experienced side that have won back-to-back titles, including a league-cup double with 30 wins from thirty-two matches?

Bring in a raft of former pro players who have performed at the highest tier of club football and global football as you target additional silverware.

A Greater Manchester side has an non-professional veterans team with nine former Premier League players in their active lineup.

222 Premier League Goals, 325 Global Appearances

The team Veterans Over 35s are located in southern Manchester and play in the Cheshire Veterans Division Premier Division.

Their roster this season includes 9 ex- Premier League footballers, with a collective 1,801 top-flight games.

The star-studded squad also boasts over 220 Premier League scores and over 320 global appearances.

The squad include one forward, who netted thirty-seven goals in over 100 games for his former club after signing for them for nine million pounds from German league side Freiburg in January 2012.

Cisse made his debut for the team in their most recent home-field game versus reigning title holders Collegiate Old Boys and scored every one of the six scores in a 6-2 victory - featuring a half-hour first-half triple.

The team for this campaign also includes ex- professionals such as English and Liverpool striker Emile Heskey, Hull and Burnley FC midfielder George Boyd, Everton forward Oumar Niasse, Wigan full-back Maynor Figueroa, City duo Stephen Ireland and Nedum Onuoha and Premier League championship victors Joleon Lescott and Danny Drinkwater.

Together, the former top-flight players have secured fifteen significant honors and transferred for total transfer sums of about £123m.

Famous Names and Global Stars

Stephen Ireland in action
Stephen Ireland won six Republic of Ireland appearances, netting 4 goals

Ireland began turning out for the side in pre-season this season through close friend and current team teammate Blake Norton, and the ex- Irish midfielder then invited other former professionals, who all compete in a midweek small-sided game, to join in.

Former Senegalese forward Niasse, who scored 12 scores in sixty-five Premier League matches for Everton and even now goes to their home games, also made his debut against Collegiate OB - who are based in the city and wear an Blue training kit as their strip.

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

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

"After that he informed me we were facing a side from Liverpool and the surprise I had when I noticed them wearing Blue shirts - I say this is strange for me!

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

"Those spectators who come and see are happy and to make a day if they see us competing there and to ask us questions - it's really about the pleasure of us getting a place we can enjoy football, with organisation of course."

So great is the bench strength at the club, he made his first game at defender.

"That's a bit unusual but then, I enjoy running and just move inside - I'm not defending that much," he said.

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

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

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

Unreal Feeling

In addition to Cisse's six goals on debut, Ireland has netted eight in 3 appearances for the side, while Boyd hit five on his first match and Joleon Lescott, a defender by position, notched a triple in one game up front.

The team are leading of the Premier Division with 3 victories from three and a goal difference of plus nineteen.

One opponent, thirty-eight, who plays on the wing for Collegiate OB, faced ex- Wigan defender Maynor Figueroa on the weekend - and had to explain his nine-year-old boy who Emile Heskey was.

He has played at 2 World Cups for his country, in addition to playing in over 200 Premier League matches.

"It was spreading like a rumor they had these former top-flight stars," said the player.

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

"Also Emile [Heskey] got on and he's got over 60 England appearances.

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

"We literally haven't ceased chatting about it - I was calling my mother and brother on the way home.

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

"Now we are eager for the second match."

We Will Still Take the League'

The manager coaches the opposition veterans side, who won the Premier Tier title last season, along with his co-manager.

"Our team scored one-nil ahead and had a

Colleen Perez
Colleen Perez

A passionate writer and mindfulness coach dedicated to helping others find peace and purpose in everyday life.