Discover the Sunday Division Squad Featuring Nearly Two Thousand English Top Division Games

Wythenshawe Vets bench during a match
The bench for the team Veterans in a 6-2 win versus their opponents on October 19th (left to right) - Oumar Niasse, another, a teammate, Blake Norton, Maynor Figueroa, Dean Warburton and Emile Heskey

What can you boost a stellar veteran team that have secured back-to-back titles, featuring a double triumph boasting thirty wins from thirty-two matches?

Sign a raft of former pro players that have performed at the top level of club football and global football as you aim for further honors.

One Greater Manchester club fields an amateur vets squad with nine former Premier League players in their current squad.

Two Hundred Twenty-Two Premier League Scores, 325 Global Caps

The team Vets Over 35s are situated in south Manchester and play in the Cheshire Veterans League Top Division.

Their lineup this campaign includes 9 ex- Premier League players, with a combined 1,801 Premier League matches.

This star-studded team also boasts over 220 Premier League goals and over 320 global appearances.

They feature Papiss Cisse, who netted thirty-seven scores in 117 games for his former club after signing for them for nine million pounds from Bundesliga club Freiburg in January 2012.

He made his first appearance for the team in their last home match against defending champions Collegiate Old Boys and netted all six scores in a six-two victory - featuring a 32-minute opening period triple.

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

Collectively, the former top-flight players have won 15 major honors and transferred for combined transfer fees of about £123 million.

Famous Figures and International Players

Stephen Ireland in action
He earned 6 Irish caps, netting four scores

Stephen Ireland began playing for the team in preseason this season through close mate and current Wythenshawe teammate Blake Norton, and the ex- Irish player then invited additional ex-pros, who all play in a midweek small-sided game, to participate.

Ex- Senegal forward Niasse, who scored twelve scores in 65 top-flight games for Everton and still goes to their matches at Goodison Park, also had his first appearance against Collegiate OB - who are based in the city and use an Blue training kit as their strip.

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

"A friend Stephen Ireland told me 'join and have a game, it's good fun'," commented Niasse.

"Then he informed me we were playing a side from the city and the surprise I had when I noticed them sporting Everton kits - I say this is wrong for me!

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

"Those people who turn up and watch are pleased and to make someone's day if they watch us competing there and to pose us queries - it's really about the pleasure of us getting a place we can play, with organisation of course."

Such is the squad depth at the club, Niasse made his debut at full-back.

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

"I warn my defender '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
Ex- Wigan full-back Maynor Figueroa is turning out for the team

Dreamlike' Experience

In addition to Cisse's six scores on his first game, Stephen Ireland has netted eight in 3 appearances for Wythenshawe, while Boyd hit five on his first match and Lescott, a centre-half by trade, notched a hat-trick in one match up front.

The team are top of the Premier Division with 3 victories from 3 and a GD of plus nineteen.

One opponent, 38, who features on the wing for the opposition, came up against former Wigan defender Maynor Figueroa on Sunday - and had to explain his young boy who Heskey was.

He has played at two global tournaments for his country, in as well as featuring in more than two hundred Premier League games.

"It was going round like wildfire they had these former top-flight stars," remarked Barrow.

"I felt I was a bit awestruck facing him to be honest.

"Even Heskey came on and he's has over 60 England caps.

"We competed well for a good 20 mins but then we had a man sent off and it was hard.

"We literally have not ceased chatting about it - I was phoning my mother and sibling on the journey home.

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

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

'We'll Still Win the League'

The manager manages the Collegiate vets team, who won the Top Tier championship last season, together with his co-manager.

"Our team scored 1-0 ahead and had a

William Chapman
William Chapman

A professional blackjack player and strategy coach with over a decade of experience in casinos worldwide.