Discover the Weekend Division Club Featuring 1,800 Premier League Games

Wythenshawe Vets bench during a match
The substitutes for Wythenshawe Vets in a 6-2 victory versus Collegiate Old Boys on October 19th (left to right) - Oumar Niasse, another, Marcel Edwards, Blake Norton, Maynor Figueroa, Dean Warburton and Emile Heskey

What can you enhance a excellent veteran team who have secured back-to-back titles, featuring a double triumph boasting thirty wins from thirty-two matches?

Sign a group of former pro players that have performed at the elite level of club football and global soccer as you target more silverware.

A Greater Manchester club fields an non-professional veterans squad with 9 ex- Premier League players in their current roster.

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

The team Vets Over-35s are situated in south Manchester and compete in the Cheshire Vets Division Top Division.

Their squad list this season boasts nine ex- Premier League footballers, with a collective 1,801 elite matches.

The high-profile team also boasts over 220 Premier League goals and 325 international caps.

The squad feature one forward, who scored 37 goals in over 100 appearances for his former club after joining them for £9m from German league side Freiburg in 2012.

He made his first appearance for the team in their last home game versus reigning champions Collegiate Old Boys and scored every one of the six scores in a six-two win - including a 32-minute opening period triple.

Wythenshawe's team for this campaign also features ex- professionals such as England and Anfield striker Emile Heskey, Hull City and Burnley winger George Boyd, Toffees striker Oumar Niasse, Wigan defender Maynor Figueroa, City pair Stephen Ireland and Nedum Onuoha and Premier League title victors Joleon Lescott and Danny Drinkwater.

Together, the ex- Premier League footballers have claimed fifteen significant trophies and transferred for total transfer sums of approximately £123m.

Famous Names and Global Stars

Stephen Ireland in action
He won six Irish caps, netting 4 scores

Stephen Ireland began playing for the side during preseason this season through close friend and current team teammate Blake Norton, and the ex- Irish midfielder then invited additional ex-pros, who all play in a midweek nine-a-side game, to join in.

Ex- Senegalese striker Niasse, who netted 12 scores in sixty-five top-flight matches for Everton and still attends their matches at Goodison Park, also had his debut against Collegiate OB - who are based in Liverpool and wear an Everton warm-up gear as their strip.

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

"My friend Stephen Ireland told me 'come and have a game, it's enjoyable'," said Niasse.

"Then he told me we were playing a side from Liverpool and the surprise I had when I noticed them sporting Blue kits - I thought this is strange for me!

"If you still love the game and you know you can still do it, wherever you can kick a ball, what are you going to choose?

"The spectators who turn up and see are pleased and to give someone's day if they see us playing there and to pose us queries - it's really about the pleasure of us having somewhere we can play, with organisation of course."

Such is the bench strength at the club, Niasse made his first game at defender.

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

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

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

Maynor Figueroa in action
Former Wigan defender Maynor Figueroa is playing for the team

'Surreal Experience

In addition to Cisse's six goals on his first game, Ireland has scored eight in 3 games for the side, while George Boyd hit 5 on his debut appearance and Joleon Lescott, a defender by position, notched a hat-trick in one match as a striker.

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

One opponent, 38, who plays on the flank for Collegiate OB, came up against ex- Wigan defender Figueroa on Sunday - and had to explain his nine-year-old boy who Heskey was.

Figueroa has appeared at two global tournaments for his country, in addition to featuring in more than 200 Premier League games.

"It was spreading like a rumor they had all these ex-Premier League stars," said Barrow.

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

"Also Heskey came on and he's got 60-odd English caps.

"Our side competed well for a good twenty mins but then we had a man dismissed and it was tough.

"We literally haven't ceased chatting about it - I was phoning my mum and sibling on the journey home.

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

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

We Will Still Take the League'

Andy Kirby coaches the Collegiate veterans team, who secured the Premier Division title the previous campaign, together with Paul Maguire.

"We went one-nil up and had a

Wendy Webb
Wendy Webb

Elara is a creative director with over a decade of experience in film production and digital storytelling.