Discover this Weekend League Club Boasting 1,800 Premier League Matches

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

What do you boost a outstanding veteran team who have secured back-to-back titles, including a league-cup double with thirty wins from 32 matches?

Bring in a collection of ex- pro players who have competed at the highest tier of club and international soccer as you pursue additional silverware.

One Manchester team fields an non-professional veterans squad with nine ex- Premier League footballers in their current squad.

Two Hundred Twenty-Two Premier League Goals, 325 International Caps

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

Their lineup this season boasts nine former top-flight footballers, with a combined nearly 1,800 top-flight matches.

The elite team also includes over 220 Premier League scores and 325 global caps.

The squad include one forward, who notched 37 scores in 117 games for Newcastle United after joining them for £9m from German league side SC Freiburg in January 2012.

He had his debut for the team in their last home-field game against reigning title holders their rivals and netted all six goals in a 6-2 win - featuring a 32-minute opening period hat-trick.

Wythenshawe's roster for this campaign also includes former professionals such as English and Anfield forward Emile Heskey, Hull and Burnley FC midfielder George Boyd, Everton striker Oumar Niasse, Wigan Athletic defender Maynor Figueroa, City pair Stephen Ireland and Nedum Onuoha and Premier League championship victors Joleon Lescott and Danny Drinkwater.

Collectively, the ex- Premier League players have claimed 15 big trophies and moved for total transfer fees of approximately £123m.

Household Figures and Global Stars

Stephen Ireland in action
Stephen Ireland earned six Irish caps, netting 4 goals

Stephen Ireland started turning out for the team during preseason this season through close friend and current Wythenshawe player Blake Norton, and the ex- Irish midfielder then invited other ex-pros, who all compete in a weekly small-sided match, to participate.

Ex- Senegalese striker Oumar Niasse, who netted 12 goals in sixty-five Premier League games for the Toffees and still goes to their matches at Goodison Park, also had his first appearance versus Collegiate OB - who are located in the city and use an Blue training kit as their strip.

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

"My mate Stephen Ireland said 'come and have a game, it's a laugh'," commented Niasse.

"Then he told me we were facing a side from Liverpool and the shock I had when I noticed them sporting Blue shirts - I say this is strange for me!

"When you still love football and you know you can still play, anywhere you can kick a ball, what are you going to choose?

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

So great is the squad depth at the club, he made his first game at full-back.

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

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

"That movement is what I'm seeking. It's enjoyable."

Maynor Figueroa in action
Former Wigan defender Maynor Figueroa is playing for Wythenshawe

Unreal Scenario

In addition to the forward's 6 scores on his first game, Stephen Ireland has netted eight in three appearances for the side, while George Boyd hit five on his debut appearance and Lescott, a centre-half by trade, scored a triple in one match as a striker.

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

Paul Barrow, 38, who features on the flank for the opposition, faced ex- Wigan full-back Figueroa on the weekend - and had to explain his nine-year-old boy who Emile Heskey was.

He has played at 2 global tournaments for his country, in addition to playing in more than two hundred Premier League games.

"It was spreading like a rumor they had all these ex-Premier League stars," remarked the player.

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

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

"We competed well for a solid 20 minutes but then we had a player sent off 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 really nice, shaking our hands after the match - it was like playing a bunch of normal fellas.

"Now we are eager for the second match."

We Will Still Take the League'

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

"We went 1-0 ahead and had a

Daniel Rivera
Daniel Rivera

A digital strategist and writer with over a decade of experience covering global tech trends and their societal impacts.

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