Meet this Weekend League Squad Featuring Nearly Two Thousand Premier League Matches

Wythenshawe Vets bench during a match
The bench for Wythenshawe Vets during a 6-2 victory against their opponents on October 19th (left to right) - Oumar Niasse, Papiss Cisse, a teammate, Blake Norton, Maynor Figueroa, Dean Warburton and Emile Heskey

What do you enhance a outstanding veteran squad who have claimed consecutive championships, including a league-cup double boasting thirty wins from thirty-two matches?

Sign a collection of former pro players that have performed at the highest tier of club football and international soccer as you pursue further trophies.

A Greater Manchester team has an non-professional vets team with nine former Premier League footballers in their current squad.

222 Premier League Goals, Three Hundred Twenty-Five International Appearances

Wythenshawe Veterans Over 35s are located in south the city and compete in the Cheshire-based Vets League Top Division.

Their squad list this campaign includes nine ex- top-flight footballers, with a total 1,801 top-flight games.

The elite team also contains 222 top division goals and 325 international appearances.

The squad feature one forward, who notched 37 goals in over 100 appearances for his former club after joining them for nine million pounds from German league side SC Freiburg in January 2012.

He made his debut for the team in their most recent home game against reigning champions Collegiate Old Boys and scored every one of the six goals in a six-two victory - featuring a half-hour first-half triple.

Wythenshawe's squad for this campaign also includes former pros such as English and Liverpool striker Emile Heskey, Hull City and Burnley midfielder George Boyd, Toffees striker Oumar Niasse, Wigan defender Maynor Figueroa, Manchester City pair Stephen Ireland and Nedum Onuoha and top-flight championship winners Joleon Lescott and Danny Drinkwater.

Collectively, the ex- Premier League footballers have claimed fifteen big honors and moved for combined transfer sums of approximately £123 million.

Famous Figures and International Stars

Stephen Ireland in action
Stephen Ireland earned six Republic of Ireland caps, scoring 4 scores

Ireland began playing for the team in preseason this season through close mate and current team teammate Blake Norton, and the former Irish player then invited additional ex-pros, who all play in a weekly nine-a-side game, to join in.

Ex- Senegalese striker Niasse, who scored 12 scores in 65 Premier League games for the Toffees and still goes to their home games, also made his debut versus Collegiate OB - who are based in Liverpool and use an Blue training kit as their strip.

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

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

"After that he informed me we were facing a side from the city and the surprise I had when I saw them wearing Everton shirts - I say this is strange for me!

"If you still love football and you feel you can still play, anywhere you can play, what are you going to do?

"The people who come and watch are pleased and to make someone's day if they watch us playing there and to ask us questions - it's more like the joy of us getting somewhere we can enjoy football, with structure of course."

So great is the squad depth at the club, he had his debut at full-back.

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

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

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

Maynor Figueroa in action
Former Wigan Athletic full-back Maynor Figueroa is turning out for the team

Unreal Scenario

Along with the forward's 6 scores on his first game, Ireland has netted eight in three games for Wythenshawe, while George Boyd hit five on his first appearance and Joleon Lescott, a centre-half by position, scored a hat-trick in one match up front.

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

One opponent, thirty-eight, who plays on the flank for Collegiate OB, came up against ex- Latics full-back Figueroa on Sunday - and had to tell his nine-year-old boy who Emile Heskey was.

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

"It was going round like wildfire they had these former top-flight players," said the player.

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

"Even Emile [Heskey] came on and he's has 60-odd England caps.

"Our side competed well for a good 20 minutes but then we had a man dismissed and it was hard.

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

"The opponents were all dead sound, 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'll Still Win the League'

The manager manages the opposition vets team, who secured the Top Division title last season, along with Paul Maguire.

"We scored one-nil up and had a

Justin Martinez
Justin Martinez

Maya is a gaming enthusiast and strategist with over a decade of experience in analyzing gaming trends and sharing actionable tips.