Introduce this Sunday League Team With Nearly Two Thousand English Top Division Matches

Wythenshawe Vets bench during a match
This bench for the team Veterans during a six-two triumph versus Collegiate Old Boys on October 19th (from left to right) - Oumar Niasse, Papiss Cisse, Marcel Edwards, Blake Norton, Maynor Figueroa, Dean Warburton and Emile Heskey

What do you boost a outstanding experienced squad that have won back-to-back titles, featuring a league-cup double boasting thirty wins from thirty-two games?

Bring in a group of former professionals who have competed at the top tier of club football and international football as you target further honors.

One Greater Manchester side fields an non-professional veterans squad with nine ex- top-flight players in their active lineup.

222 Top Division Goals, 325 International Caps

The team Vets Over 35s are based in south the city and compete in the Cheshire Veterans Division Top Tier.

The lineup this campaign includes nine ex- Premier League footballers, with a combined over 1,800 Premier League matches.

The elite squad also includes over 220 top division scores and 325 international caps.

The squad include one forward, who netted thirty-seven scores in 117 appearances for his former club after signing for them for nine million pounds from German league club Freiburg in 2012.

He had his first appearance for the team in their last home-field game versus defending title holders Collegiate Old Boys and netted all six goals in a 6-2 victory - including a half-hour first-half hat-trick.

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

Together, the ex- top-flight footballers have claimed 15 significant honors and transferred for combined transfer fees of about Β£123 million.

Household Names and Global Players

Stephen Ireland in action
Stephen Ireland earned six Republic of Ireland appearances, scoring four scores

Stephen Ireland began turning out for the team in preseason this season through good friend and current team player Blake Norton, and the ex- Irish player then asked additional former professionals, who all compete in a weekly nine-a-side game, to participate.

Ex- Senegalese forward Oumar Niasse, who scored 12 goals in sixty-five Premier League games for the Toffees and still attends their home games, also made his first appearance against Collegiate OB - who are based in Liverpool and use an Everton training kit as their uniform.

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

"A mate Stephen Ireland told me 'come and play, it's a laugh'," commented the striker.

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

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

"Those spectators who turn up and watch are pleased and to make someone's day if they watch us playing there and to ask us queries - it's more like the pleasure of us having a place we can play, with structure of course."

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

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

"I tell my defender 'I'm not staying' and that I'm just going to keep attacking.

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

Maynor Figueroa in action
Ex- Wigan defender Maynor Figueroa is turning out for Wythenshawe

Unreal Experience

In addition to the forward's six goals on debut, Stephen Ireland has netted 8 in 3 appearances for Wythenshawe, while Boyd scored 5 on his debut appearance and Joleon Lescott, a defender by position, notched a hat-trick in one game as a striker.

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

One opponent, thirty-eight, who plays on the wing for Collegiate OB, came up against former Latics defender Figueroa on the weekend - and had to tell his nine-year-old boy who Emile Heskey was.

Figueroa has played at two global tournaments for Honduras, in as well as featuring in over 200 Premier League matches.

"It was going round like wildfire they had these ex-Premier League players," said Barrow.

"I felt I was a little starstruck playing against him to be honest.

"Also Heskey came on and he's has 60-odd England appearances.

"We competed well for a good twenty minutes but then we had a man dismissed and it was hard.

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

"They were all dead sound, shaking our hands after the game - it was like facing a group of normal fellas.

"Now we are eager for the second fixture."

We Will Still Take the League'

Andy Kirby coaches the opposition veterans side, who secured the Premier Tier title the previous campaign, along with Paul Maguire.

"Our team scored one-nil up and had a

Jason Williams
Jason Williams

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