Discover this Sunday League Club Boasting Over 1,800 English Top Division Appearances

Wythenshawe Vets bench during a match
This substitutes for the team Vets in a six-two triumph against their opponents on 19 October (from left to right) - Oumar Niasse, another, a teammate, Blake Norton, Maynor Figueroa, Dean Warburton and Emile Heskey

What do you improve a outstanding experienced side who have won back-to-back titles, including a league-cup double boasting thirty wins from 32 games?

Recruit a raft of former pro players who have competed at the highest level of club and global football as you pursue additional honors.

A Greater Manchester side boasts an non-professional veterans team with nine former top-flight players in their active squad.

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

Wythenshawe Veterans Over 35s are situated in south Manchester and compete in the Cheshire Vets League Premier Division.

Their lineup this season boasts nine former top-flight footballers, with a total 1,801 elite appearances.

This high-profile squad also boasts 222 Premier League goals and 325 international appearances.

The squad include one forward, who notched 37 scores in over 100 appearances for his former club after joining them for £9m from Bundesliga club SC Freiburg in 2012.

He made his debut for the team in their most recent home game versus reigning champions Collegiate Old Boys and netted all six scores in a 6-2 win - including a 32-minute opening period triple.

The squad for this season also features former pros such as England and Liverpool striker Emile Heskey, Hull City and Burnley winger George Boyd, Everton forward Oumar Niasse, Wigan Athletic full-back Maynor Figueroa, City duo Stephen Ireland and Nedum Onuoha and top-flight title victors Joleon Lescott and Danny Drinkwater.

Together, the ex- top-flight footballers have secured fifteen significant trophies and transferred for combined transfer fees of approximately £123m.

Famous Figures and Global Stars

Stephen Ireland in action
Stephen Ireland won six Irish appearances, netting four goals

Stephen Ireland began playing for the team in pre-season this season through good mate and current team player Blake Norton, and the former Irish player then invited additional former professionals, who all play in a midweek nine-a-side match, to join in.

Former Senegalese striker Niasse, who netted 12 goals in sixty-five top-flight 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 use an Everton warm-up gear as their uniform.

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

"A friend Stephen said 'come and have a game, it's a laugh'," said the striker.

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

"When you still enjoy the game and you know you can still do it, wherever you can play, what are you going to choose?

"Those spectators who come and watch are happy and to make someone's moment if they watch us playing there and to ask us queries - it's really about the pleasure of us getting somewhere we can enjoy football, with structure of course."

Such is the squad depth at Wythenshawe, he had his debut at full-back.

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

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

"The running is what I'm after. It's good fun."

Maynor Figueroa in action
Former Wigan full-back Maynor Figueroa is playing for the team

Dreamlike' Experience

Along with the forward's six goals on his first game, Stephen Ireland has netted 8 in three appearances for the side, while George Boyd scored 5 on his first appearance and Joleon Lescott, a defender by trade, notched a triple in one match as a striker.

Wythenshawe are leading of the Top Division with three victories from 3 and a GD of +19.

One opponent, 38, who plays on the wing for the opposition, came up against ex- Latics defender Figueroa on Sunday - and had to explain his young boy who Heskey was.

Figueroa has played at two World Cups for Honduras, in addition to featuring in over 200 top-flight matches.

"It was going round like a rumor they had these ex-Premier League stars," said the player.

"I felt I was a little awestruck playing against him to be honest.

"Even Emile [Heskey] got on and he's got 60-odd England appearances.

"Our side held our own for a good 20 minutes but then we had a player sent off and it was hard.

"We literally haven't stopped talking about it - I was calling my mother and sibling on the way home.

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

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

We Will Still Take the League'

Andy Kirby manages the Collegiate veterans team, who won the Top Tier title the previous campaign, together with his co-manager.

"We went 1-0 up and had a

Robert Reeves
Robert Reeves

Award-winning journalist specializing in data-driven investigations and international policy analysis.