Discover this Sunday League Team Boasting Over 1,800 Top-Flight Appearances

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

What can you enhance a outstanding veteran side that have secured back-to-back titles, featuring a league-cup double boasting thirty victories from 32 games?

Sign a group of former professionals who have competed at the highest level of club football and international soccer as you target additional honors.

A Greater Manchester side fields an amateur vets squad with nine former Premier League footballers in their current lineup.

222 Top Division Goals, 325 Global Appearances

Wythenshawe Veterans Over 35s are situated in south Manchester and compete in the Cheshire-based Veterans League Top Division.

Their roster this campaign boasts 9 former Premier League footballers, with a collective over 1,800 elite appearances.

The high-profile squad also contains 222 Premier League goals and 325 global caps.

The squad include one forward, who notched thirty-seven scores in over 100 games for Newcastle United after moving to them for £9m from German league side SC Freiburg in 2012.

Cisse made his first appearance for Wythenshawe in their most recent home game against reigning champions their rivals and netted all six scores in a 6-2 victory - featuring a 32-minute first-half hat-trick.

Wythenshawe's squad for this season also includes ex- pros such as English and Liverpool striker Emile Heskey, Hull City and Burnley FC winger George Boyd, Toffees forward Oumar Niasse, Wigan defender Maynor Figueroa, City pair Stephen Ireland and Nedum Onuoha and Premier League title winners Joleon Lescott and Danny Drinkwater.

Together, the former Premier League players have secured 15 major trophies and moved for combined transfer sums of around £123m.

Well-Known Names and Global Players

Stephen Ireland in action
He won 6 Irish appearances, scoring 4 goals

Stephen Ireland began turning out for the side in preseason this season through close friend and current Wythenshawe player Blake Norton, and the former Irish player then invited other ex-pros, who all compete in a midweek small-sided game, to join in.

Former Senegal forward Oumar Niasse, who netted 12 scores in 65 top-flight matches for the Toffees and still goes to their home games, also had his first appearance versus the opposition - who are based in the city and use an Everton warm-up gear as their strip.

Oumar Niasse playing for Everton
He played for Everton from 2016 and 2020

"My mate Stephen Ireland told me 'come and play, it's good fun'," said the striker.

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

"When you still enjoy football and you feel you can still play, wherever you can play, what are you going to do?

"Those people who turn up and see are happy and to give a day if they watch us competing there and to ask us questions - it's really about the pleasure of us having a place we can play, with organisation of course."

Such is the bench strength at Wythenshawe, he had his first game at full-back.

"That's a bit unusual but then, I love sprinting and just go forward - I'm not defending that much," he added.

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

"That running is what I'm looking for. It's good fun."

Maynor Figueroa in action
Ex- Wigan defender Maynor Figueroa is playing for the team

'Surreal Scenario

Along with the forward's 6 scores on debut, Ireland has netted eight in three appearances for Wythenshawe, while George Boyd hit 5 on his first appearance and Joleon Lescott, a centre-half by trade, notched a hat-trick in one game as a striker.

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

Paul Barrow, 38, who plays on the flank for the opposition, came up against former Latics defender Maynor Figueroa on Sunday - and had to tell his young son who Emile Heskey was.

He has played at two World Cups for his country, in as well as playing in more than 200 top-flight matches.

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

"I think I was a little starstruck facing Figueroa to be honest.

"Even Emile [Heskey] came on and he's has over 60 England appearances.

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

"Our group literally haven't stopped chatting about it - I was calling my mother and sibling on the journey home.

"They were all dead sound, shaking our hands after the game - it was like facing a bunch of regular guys.

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

We Will Still Win the League'

The manager coaches the Collegiate vets side, who won the Top Division title the previous campaign, together with his co-manager.

"We scored 1-0 up and had a

Mrs. Felicia Daniels DDS
Mrs. Felicia Daniels DDS

A seasoned gambling analyst with over a decade of experience in casino gaming and sports betting strategies.