Introduce this Weekend League Team Featuring Over 1,800 Premier League Games

Wythenshawe Vets bench during a match
The substitutes for the team Veterans in a six-two triumph against Collegiate Old Boys on 19 October (left to right) - Oumar Niasse, another, a teammate, Blake Norton, Maynor Figueroa, Dean Warburton and Emile Heskey

What do you enhance a outstanding experienced side who have claimed consecutive championships, including a league-cup double with thirty victories from 32 games?

Recruit a raft of former pro players who have competed at the highest level of club football and international soccer as you target additional trophies.

A Greater Manchester side has an amateur veterans squad with nine former Premier League players in their active squad.

Two Hundred Twenty-Two Premier League Goals, Three Hundred Twenty-Five International Appearances

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

The roster this campaign features nine ex- top-flight players, with a combined 1,801 elite matches.

The elite team also boasts 222 top division goals and over 320 global caps.

The squad include one forward, who scored thirty-seven scores in 117 games for Newcastle United after joining them for £9m from Bundesliga side Freiburg in January 2012.

Cisse made his first appearance for the team in their most recent home game versus reigning title holders their rivals and netted all six goals in a six-two win - featuring a half-hour opening period hat-trick.

Wythenshawe's squad for this campaign also features ex- pros such as England and Liverpool striker Emile Heskey, Hull City and Burnley FC midfielder George Boyd, Toffees striker Oumar Niasse, Wigan Athletic defender Maynor Figueroa, City pair Stephen Ireland and Nedum Onuoha and top-flight title victors Joleon Lescott and Danny Drinkwater.

In total, the former top-flight players have secured 15 big trophies and moved for total transfer sums of about £123 million.

Well-Known Names and International Stars

Stephen Ireland in action
He earned 6 Irish caps, scoring four scores

Stephen Ireland started turning out for the side during preseason this summer through good friend and present team teammate Blake Norton, and the former Irish midfielder then asked additional ex-pros, who all play in a midweek nine-a-side game, to participate.

Ex- Senegal forward Niasse, who netted 12 scores in 65 top-flight games for Everton and still attends their matches at Goodison Park, also had 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
He played for the club between 2016 and 2020

"My friend Stephen Ireland told me 'join and have a game, it's enjoyable'," commented Niasse.

"After that he told me we were playing a side from the city and the surprise I had when I saw them wearing Blue shirts - I say this is strange for me!

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

"Those fans who come and see are pleased and to give a moment if they watch us competing there and to pose us questions - it's really about the pleasure of us having somewhere we can play, with structure of course."

So great is the strength in depth at Wythenshawe, he made his debut at full-back.

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

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

"The running is what I'm looking for. It's good fun."

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

Unreal Feeling

Along with Cisse's 6 goals on debut, Stephen Ireland has netted eight in three games for the side, while Boyd scored 5 on his debut match and Joleon Lescott, a centre-half by trade, scored a triple in one game up front.

The team are leading of the Top Division with three victories from 3 and a goal difference of +19.

One opponent, thirty-eight, who features on the wing for Collegiate OB, came up against ex- Latics full-back Figueroa on the weekend - and had to explain his young son who Heskey was.

He has appeared at two global tournaments for his country, in addition to featuring in over 200 Premier League matches.

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

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

"Even Emile [Heskey] got on and he's has over 60 English appearances.

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

"Our group really have not stopped chatting about it - I was calling my mum and brother on the journey home.

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

"Now we are eager for the second match."

We Will Still Win the League'

The manager manages the opposition veterans team, who secured the Premier Tier championship the previous campaign, along with his co-manager.

"We went one-nil up and had a

Christina Patrick
Christina Patrick

A seasoned UK gaming journalist with over a decade of experience in online slots analysis and casino industry insights.