Introduce this Weekend League Club Boasting Nearly Two Thousand Premier League Appearances

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

What do you enhance a stellar experienced squad who have won back-to-back championships, including a double triumph boasting thirty wins from 32 games?

Bring in a raft of former professionals that have played at the top tier of club and global football as you pursue additional trophies.

A Greater Manchester side has an non-professional veterans team with 9 ex- Premier League footballers in their current roster.

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

The team Vets Over 35s are located in southern the city and compete in the Cheshire Veterans League Top Division.

The lineup this campaign includes nine ex- Premier League players, with a combined over 1,800 Premier League appearances.

The star-studded roster also includes over 220 Premier League goals and over 320 global appearances.

The squad feature one forward, who scored thirty-seven goals in 117 games for his former club after moving to them for nine million pounds from German league side SC Freiburg in January 2012.

Cisse had his first appearance 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 - featuring a half-hour opening period triple.

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

Together, the former Premier League footballers have secured fifteen major trophies and transferred for total transfer sums of around £123m.

Household Names and Global Stars

Stephen Ireland in action
Stephen Ireland earned 6 Irish caps, netting 4 scores

Stephen Ireland started turning out for the side during pre-season this season through good mate and current team teammate Blake Norton, and the former Republic of Ireland player then asked additional former professionals, who all play in a weekly small-sided match, to participate.

Ex- Senegalese striker Oumar Niasse, who scored twelve scores in 65 top-flight matches for Everton and even now attends their matches at Goodison Park, also made his debut against the opposition - who are located in Liverpool and wear an Everton training kit as their uniform.

Oumar Niasse playing for Everton
He played for the club between 2016 and 2020

"A mate Stephen said 'join and play, it's a laugh'," commented Niasse.

"Then he informed me we were facing a team from Liverpool and the surprise I had when I noticed them sporting Blue shirts - I thought this is wrong for me!

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

"The people who turn up and see are happy and to give a day if they see us competing there and to ask us queries - it's more like the pleasure of us getting somewhere we can enjoy football, with organisation of course."

So great is the bench strength at the club, Niasse made his debut at full-back.

"That's a little different but then, I enjoy sprinting and just go forward - I'm not defending that much," he added.

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

"The movement is what I'm looking for. It's enjoyable."

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

'Surreal Experience

Along with the forward's 6 goals on debut, Ireland has netted eight in 3 games for the side, while George Boyd hit five on his first appearance and Lescott, a defender by trade, scored a triple in one match as a striker.

The team are leading of the Top Tier with three victories from three and a GD of +19.

Paul Barrow, 38, who features on the flank for the opposition, faced ex- Latics defender Maynor Figueroa on the weekend - and had to explain his young boy who Heskey was.

He has played at two World Cups for Honduras, in as well as featuring in over 200 top-flight games.

"The news was spreading like a rumor they had these former top-flight players," remarked Barrow.

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

"Also Emile [Heskey] got on and he's got over 60 England caps.

"We competed well for a good twenty minutes but then we had a man dismissed and it was hard.

"Our group really haven't stopped talking about it - I was calling my mother and brother on the way 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 return match."

'We'll Still Win the League'

The manager manages the Collegiate veterans team, who won the Top Tier championship the previous campaign, along with Paul Maguire.

"Our team scored one-nil up and had a

Teresa Thompson
Teresa Thompson

Elara Vance is a seasoned gaming analyst with over a decade of experience in the UK betting industry, specializing in odds and player strategies.