Meet the Weekend League Squad Featuring 1,800 Top-Flight Appearances

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

How do you enhance a outstanding veteran team that have won consecutive championships, featuring a double triumph with 30 victories from thirty-two games?

Sign a group of former professionals who have played at the top tier of club football and global soccer as you pursue additional silverware.

One Manchester team fields an amateur vets team with nine former Premier League footballers in their active squad.

Two Hundred Twenty-Two Top Division Goals, Three Hundred Twenty-Five International Caps

Wythenshawe Veterans Over 35s are located in south Manchester and play in the Cheshire Veterans League Top Tier.

The roster this campaign boasts nine ex- top-flight footballers, with a collective nearly 1,800 elite games.

The high-profile roster also contains over 220 Premier League goals and 325 global caps.

They include one forward, who notched 37 scores in 117 appearances for his former club after signing for them for nine million pounds from Bundesliga club SC Freiburg in 2012.

He had his first appearance for the team in their last home game versus defending champions their rivals and netted every one of the six goals in a 6-2 victory - including a 32-minute first-half triple.

The roster for this campaign also features former pros such as England and Liverpool forward Emile Heskey, Hull and Burnley midfielder George Boyd, Toffees forward Oumar Niasse, Wigan full-back Maynor Figueroa, Manchester City duo Stephen Ireland and Nedum Onuoha and Premier League title victors Joleon Lescott and Danny Drinkwater.

Together, the ex- Premier League footballers have secured fifteen significant trophies and transferred for total transfer fees of approximately £123m.

Household Names and International Players

Stephen Ireland in action
Stephen Ireland won 6 Irish appearances, netting four scores

Stephen Ireland began playing for the team in pre-season this summer through close friend and current team teammate Blake Norton, and the ex- Republic of Ireland player then invited other former professionals, who all compete in a weekly nine-a-side match, to participate.

Ex- Senegal forward Niasse, who netted twelve goals in sixty-five top-flight games for Everton and even now attends their matches at Goodison Park, also made his first appearance against the opposition - who are located in Liverpool and wear an Everton warm-up gear as their strip.

Oumar Niasse playing for Everton
Oumar Niasse played for the club from 2016 and 2020

"My mate Stephen Ireland said 'come and play, it's enjoyable'," said the striker.

"After that he informed me we were playing a team from Liverpool and the shock I had when I noticed them wearing Everton kits - I thought this is strange for me!

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

"The fans who come and watch are happy and to give a moment if they watch us playing there and to pose us questions - it's really about the joy of us having somewhere we can enjoy football, with organisation of course."

Such is the strength in depth at the club, he had his debut at full-back.

"That's a little unusual but then, I love sprinting and just move forward - 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.

"That running is what I'm seeking. It's good fun."

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

Dreamlike' Scenario

In addition to Cisse's six scores on debut, Ireland has scored 8 in three appearances for the side, while Boyd scored 5 on his first appearance and Lescott, a defender by position, notched a hat-trick in one game up front.

The team are leading of the Premier Tier with three wins from 3 and a GD of plus nineteen.

One opponent, 38, who plays on the flank for Collegiate OB, faced ex- Wigan full-back Figueroa on the weekend - and had to explain his nine-year-old son who Heskey was.

Figueroa has appeared at two World Cups for his country, in addition to featuring in more than 200 Premier League games.

"The news was spreading like wildfire they had all these ex-Premier League stars," said the player.

"I think I was a bit starstruck facing Figueroa to be honest.

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

"We held our own for a solid 20 minutes but then we had a player sent off and it was tough.

"Our group literally have not stopped chatting about it - I was calling my mother and brother on the way home.

"The opponents were all friendly, shaking our hands after the match - it was like facing a bunch of regular fellas.

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

We Will Still Win the League'

Andy Kirby coaches the opposition veterans side, who won the Premier Tier championship the previous campaign, together with Paul Maguire.

"Our team scored 1-0 up and had a

Holly Morris
Holly Morris

Urban enthusiast and freelance writer exploring city life, culture, and hidden gems across the UK.