Meet this Sunday League Team Boasting Nearly Two Thousand Premier League Matches

Wythenshawe Vets bench during a match
This bench for the team Veterans in a 6-2 victory against Collegiate Old Boys on October 19th (left to right) - one player, another, a teammate, Blake Norton, Maynor Figueroa, Dean Warburton and Emile Heskey

What do you boost a excellent veteran squad that have secured consecutive titles, including a league-cup double boasting 30 victories from 32 games?

Bring in a raft of former professionals who have performed at the highest tier of club football and international football as you aim for additional honors.

A Manchester side has an non-professional veterans squad with nine former Premier League players in their current lineup.

222 Top Division Goals, Three Hundred Twenty-Five Global Appearances

The team Veterans Over 35s are situated in southern the city and play in the Cheshire-based Vets League Top Tier.

Their lineup this season boasts nine former top-flight footballers, with a combined nearly 1,800 elite appearances.

This high-profile team also includes 222 top division scores and over 320 global caps.

They feature one forward, who scored 37 goals in 117 appearances for his former club after signing for them for nine million pounds from Bundesliga side SC Freiburg in 2012.

He had his debut for Wythenshawe in their last home match against defending champions their rivals and netted every one of the six scores in a six-two win - including a half-hour first-half triple.

Wythenshawe's team for this season also includes former professionals such as England and Liverpool forward Emile Heskey, Hull City and Burnley winger George Boyd, Everton striker Oumar Niasse, Wigan defender Maynor Figueroa, Manchester City duo Stephen Ireland and Nedum Onuoha and Premier League championship winners Joleon Lescott and Danny Drinkwater.

In total, the former Premier League players have secured fifteen big honors and transferred for combined transfer sums of about £123m.

Famous Names and Global Players

Stephen Ireland in action
He won six Irish caps, scoring 4 goals

Stephen Ireland started turning out for the team in preseason this season through close mate and present team player Blake Norton, and the ex- Irish player then asked other ex-pros, who all compete in a weekly small-sided game, to join in.

Ex- Senegalese forward Niasse, who scored twelve scores in 65 top-flight games for the Toffees and still attends their home games, also made his first appearance versus Collegiate OB - who are located in the city and use an Everton training kit as their uniform.

Oumar Niasse playing for Everton
He featured for the club from 2016 and 2020

"A friend Stephen Ireland said 'come and play, it's enjoyable'," commented the striker.

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

"If you still enjoy football and you feel you can still do it, wherever you can kick a ball, what are you going to choose?

"Those spectators who turn up and see are happy and to make someone's day if they watch us competing there and to pose us questions - it's more like the joy of us having a place we can enjoy football, with structure of course."

Such is the squad depth at the club, he made his first game at full-back.

"It's a bit unusual but then, I love sprinting and just go inside - I'm not staying back that much," he added.

"I warn my defender 'I'm not staying' and that I'm just going to continue running.

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

Maynor Figueroa in action
Ex- Wigan Athletic defender Maynor Figueroa is turning out for Wythenshawe

Dreamlike' Feeling

In addition to Cisse's six scores on debut, Stephen Ireland has netted 8 in three appearances for Wythenshawe, while Boyd scored five on his debut match and Lescott, a defender by trade, notched a hat-trick in one game up front.

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

Paul Barrow, 38, who plays on the wing for Collegiate OB, faced ex- Latics full-back Maynor Figueroa on the weekend - and had to explain his nine-year-old son who Emile Heskey was.

Figueroa has appeared at 2 World Cups for Honduras, in addition to featuring in more than 200 top-flight matches.

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

"I think I was a bit starstruck playing against Figueroa to be honest.

"Also Heskey got on and he's has over 60 England appearances.

"We held our own for a solid 20 minutes but then we had a man sent off and it was hard.

"We really haven't stopped chatting about it - I was phoning my mum and brother on the way home.

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

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

We Will Still Win the Title'

Andy Kirby coaches the opposition veterans side, who won the Top Division championship the previous campaign, together with Paul Maguire.

"We went one-nil ahead and had a

Adrian Blake
Adrian Blake

Lena Visser is a vintage enthusiast and curator, sharing her passion for unique finds and sustainable shopping.