Introduce the Sunday Division Squad Featuring 1,800 English Top Division Matches

Wythenshawe Vets bench during a match
This substitutes for the team Vets during a 6-2 triumph against their opponents on October 19th (left to right) - Oumar Niasse, Papiss Cisse, Marcel Edwards, Blake Norton, Maynor Figueroa, Dean Warburton and Emile Heskey

What can you boost a excellent experienced side who have claimed back-to-back titles, including a double triumph boasting thirty victories from 32 matches?

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

A Manchester team fields an non-professional vets squad with nine former Premier League players in their active squad.

Two Hundred Twenty-Two Top Division Scores, 325 Global Appearances

The team Veterans Over 35s are based in south Manchester and compete in the Cheshire Veterans League Top Tier.

The roster this campaign boasts 9 former top-flight footballers, with a total 1,801 Premier League games.

This high-profile squad also contains over 220 top division goals and 325 global appearances.

They feature Papiss Cisse, who notched thirty-seven goals in over 100 appearances for Newcastle United after joining them for £9m from German league side Freiburg in January 2012.

He had his debut for Wythenshawe in their most recent home game against defending title holders Collegiate Old Boys and netted every one of the six scores in a 6-2 win - featuring a half-hour first-half triple.

The squad for this season also features ex- pros such as English and Anfield forward Emile Heskey, Hull City and Burnley FC winger George Boyd, Toffees forward Oumar Niasse, Wigan Athletic full-back Maynor Figueroa, Manchester City pair Stephen Ireland and Nedum Onuoha and Premier League title winners Joleon Lescott and Danny Drinkwater.

In total, the ex- top-flight players have claimed fifteen big honors and moved for total transfer fees of approximately £123m.

Famous Names and Global Stars

Stephen Ireland in action
Stephen Ireland earned 6 Republic of Ireland appearances, scoring four goals

Ireland began turning out for the side in pre-season this season through good friend and current Wythenshawe teammate Blake Norton, and the ex- Republic of Ireland midfielder then asked additional ex-pros, who all play in a weekly nine-a-side match, to participate.

Ex- Senegalese striker Niasse, who netted twelve goals in sixty-five top-flight matches for the Toffees and even now goes to their home games, also had his debut against the opposition - 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 mate Stephen Ireland told me 'join and have a game, it's enjoyable'," commented the striker.

"Then he told me we were facing a side from the city and the shock I had when I noticed them wearing Blue kits - I thought this is strange for me!

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

"The fans who turn up and see are happy and to give someone's moment if they see us playing there and to pose us questions - it's more like the pleasure of us getting somewhere we can enjoy football, with structure of course."

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

"It's a little unusual but then, I love running and just go inside - I'm not defending that much," he said.

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

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

Maynor Figueroa in action
Ex- Wigan full-back Maynor Figueroa is playing for Wythenshawe

Dreamlike' Experience

In addition to the forward's six scores on debut, Ireland has scored 8 in 3 games for the side, while Boyd hit 5 on his debut appearance and Lescott, a centre-half by position, scored a triple in one match as a striker.

The team are top of the Premier Division with three victories from three and a goal difference of plus nineteen.

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

He has appeared at two World Cups for Honduras, in as well as featuring in over two hundred Premier League games.

"It was spreading like wildfire they had these former top-flight players," remarked Barrow.

"I felt I was a bit starstruck facing him to be honest.

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

"We competed well for a good 20 mins but then we had a player dismissed and it was tough.

"We literally have not ceased talking about it - I was calling 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 group of normal guys.

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

'We'll Still Take the League'

The manager coaches the opposition vets side, who won the Premier Division title the previous campaign, along with Paul Maguire.

"We went one-nil up and had a

Laurie Sanchez
Laurie Sanchez

A gemologist with over 15 years of experience in diamond valuation and market analysis, passionate about educating investors and enthusiasts.