Meet the Weekend League Team Featuring Over 1,800 Premier League Games

Wythenshawe Vets bench during a match
The substitutes for Wythenshawe Veterans during a six-two win against their opponents on October 19th (left to right) - one player, Papiss Cisse, a teammate, Blake Norton, Maynor Figueroa, Dean Warburton and Emile Heskey

What do you improve a excellent veteran squad that have secured back-to-back titles, featuring a league-cup double boasting 30 victories from thirty-two games?

Recruit a raft of former pro players who have played at the highest level of club and international football as you pursue additional silverware.

One Greater Manchester club boasts an amateur vets team with nine ex- top-flight footballers in their present roster.

222 Premier League Goals, 325 International Caps

The team Veterans Over 35s are located in south Manchester and play in the Cheshire-based Vets League Premier Tier.

The lineup this campaign features nine former top-flight footballers, with a collective 1,801 Premier League games.

The high-profile team also includes over 220 Premier League goals and over 320 global appearances.

The squad include one forward, who netted thirty-seven scores in over 100 games for Newcastle United after moving to them for nine million pounds from Bundesliga club Freiburg in 2012.

He had his first appearance for the team in their last home-field game versus reigning title holders their rivals and scored all six scores in a 6-2 win - featuring a 32-minute first-half triple.

The roster for this campaign also features former professionals such as England and Anfield forward Emile Heskey, Hull and Burnley winger George Boyd, Everton forward Oumar Niasse, Wigan Athletic defender Maynor Figueroa, City duo Stephen Ireland and Nedum Onuoha and top-flight title victors Joleon Lescott and Danny Drinkwater.

Collectively, the ex- top-flight footballers have secured 15 major honors and transferred for total transfer sums of approximately £123m.

Famous Figures and International Players

Stephen Ireland in action
Stephen Ireland earned 6 Republic of Ireland caps, scoring 4 goals

Ireland began turning out for the side during preseason this season through good mate and present team player Blake Norton, and the ex- Republic of Ireland midfielder then asked other former professionals, who all play in a weekly nine-a-side match, to join in.

Ex- Senegal striker Niasse, who netted twelve scores in sixty-five top-flight matches for the Toffees and even now attends their matches at Goodison Park, also made his first appearance versus the opposition - who are located in the city and wear 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 a laugh'," said the striker.

"Then he told me we were playing a team from the city and the shock I had when I saw them sporting Everton kits - I say this is wrong for me!

"When you still enjoy football and you feel you can still do it, anywhere you can play, what are you going to do?

"Those spectators who turn up and see are happy and to give a day if they see us playing there and to ask us questions - it's more like the joy of us having somewhere we can play, with organisation of course."

Such is the squad depth at Wythenshawe, Niasse made his first game at defender.

"It's a little different but then, I enjoy sprinting and just move forward - I'm not staying back that much," he added.

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

"The movement is what I'm after. It's good fun."

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

'Surreal Experience

In addition to Cisse's 6 goals on his first game, Stephen Ireland has netted eight in 3 games for Wythenshawe, while George Boyd hit five on his debut match and Joleon Lescott, a defender by trade, notched a hat-trick in one game as a striker.

Wythenshawe are leading of the Top Tier with three victories from 3 and a GD of plus nineteen.

One opponent, 38, who plays on the wing for Collegiate OB, came up against ex- Wigan defender Maynor Figueroa on Sunday - and had to tell his young son who Heskey was.

Figueroa has appeared at 2 World Cups for Honduras, in addition to playing in over two hundred Premier League matches.

"The news was spreading like wildfire they had these former top-flight players," said Barrow.

"I felt I was a bit awestruck facing Figueroa to be honest.

"Also Heskey came on and he's got over 60 English appearances.

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

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

"They were all friendly, shaking our hands after the game - it was like playing a group of regular fellas.

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

We Will Still Win the Title'

The manager manages the Collegiate vets team, who won the Premier Division title the previous campaign, along with Paul Maguire.

"Our team scored one-nil ahead and had a

Russell King
Russell King

A digital strategist and tech writer with over a decade of experience in software development and emerging technologies.