Meet the Sunday League Squad Boasting Over 1,800 Top-Flight Matches

Wythenshawe Vets bench during a match
This bench for the team Veterans in a 6-2 victory versus their opponents on October 19th (from left to right) - one player, Papiss Cisse, a teammate, Blake Norton, Maynor Figueroa, Dean Warburton and Emile Heskey

How do you improve a outstanding experienced side who have secured consecutive titles, featuring a double triumph boasting 30 wins from thirty-two games?

Sign a raft of ex- professionals that have competed at the elite level of club football and international soccer as you pursue more trophies.

A Manchester side fields an amateur vets squad with 9 ex- Premier League players in their present roster.

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

The team Vets Over 35s are based in southern Manchester and compete in the Cheshire-based Veterans League Premier Division.

Their lineup this campaign features nine ex- top-flight players, with a combined 1,801 elite games.

This elite squad also includes 222 Premier League scores and over 320 international caps.

The squad include one forward, who notched 37 goals in 117 appearances for Newcastle United after signing for them for £9m from German league club SC Freiburg in 2012.

He made his debut for the team in their last home game against reigning title holders their rivals and scored every one of the six scores in a 6-2 win - including a 32-minute opening period hat-trick.

The roster for this season also features ex- professionals such as English and Liverpool striker Emile Heskey, Hull and Burnley winger George Boyd, Everton striker Oumar Niasse, Wigan Athletic defender Maynor Figueroa, Manchester City duo Stephen Ireland and Nedum Onuoha and top-flight title winners Joleon Lescott and Danny Drinkwater.

Together, the former Premier League footballers have claimed fifteen major trophies and transferred for combined transfer fees of about £123m.

Household Figures and International Stars

Stephen Ireland in action
He earned six Republic of Ireland appearances, scoring 4 scores

Ireland started playing for the side during preseason this season through close friend and present Wythenshawe teammate Blake Norton, and the ex- Irish midfielder then asked additional former professionals, who all play in a midweek small-sided match, to participate.

Former Senegalese striker Oumar Niasse, who netted 12 scores in 65 Premier League games for Everton and still attends their matches at Goodison Park, also made his first appearance against Collegiate OB - who are based in the city and wear an Blue warm-up gear as their uniform.

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

"A mate Stephen said 'join and have a game, it's enjoyable'," said the striker.

"After that he informed me we were facing a side from Liverpool and the surprise I had when I saw them sporting Everton kits - I thought this is wrong for me!

"When you still enjoy the game and you know you can still do it, anywhere you can kick a ball, what are you going to choose?

"The spectators who come and watch are pleased and to make a day if they watch us competing there and to pose us questions - it's more like the pleasure of us getting a place we can play, with structure of course."

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

"It's a bit different but then, I enjoy running and just go forward - 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 keep attacking.

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

Maynor Figueroa in action
Ex- Wigan Athletic defender Maynor Figueroa is turning out for the team

Unreal Scenario

Along with Cisse's six scores on his first game, Ireland has netted eight in three games for the side, while George Boyd scored five on his debut appearance and Joleon Lescott, a centre-half by position, notched a hat-trick in one game up front.

The team are top of the Premier Tier with 3 victories from three and a goal difference of plus nineteen.

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

He has played at two global tournaments for his country, in as well as playing in more than two hundred top-flight games.

"It was going round like wildfire they had these former top-flight players," remarked the player.

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

"Also Emile [Heskey] got on and he's has 60-odd English caps.

"We competed well for a solid twenty minutes but then we had a player dismissed and it was tough.

"We really have not ceased 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 group of normal guys.

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

'We'll Still Take the Title'

Andy Kirby coaches the Collegiate veterans side, who secured the Premier Division championship last season, together with Paul Maguire.

"We went one-nil up and had a

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