Meet the Sunday League Club Boasting 1,800 English Top Division Matches

Wythenshawe Vets bench during a match
The bench for Wythenshawe Vets in a 6-2 triumph against their opponents on October 19th (from left to right) - one player, another, a teammate, Blake Norton, Maynor Figueroa, Dean Warburton and Emile Heskey

How do you boost a outstanding veteran side that have claimed consecutive championships, featuring a double triumph with thirty wins from 32 matches?

Bring in a group of former pro players that have competed at the elite tier of club and global football as you pursue more trophies.

One Manchester club fields an amateur veterans squad with 9 ex- Premier League players in their active lineup.

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

Wythenshawe Vets Over 35s are situated in southern Manchester and play in the Cheshire Vets Division Premier Tier.

The roster this campaign boasts 9 ex- Premier League footballers, with a collective over 1,800 elite matches.

The star-studded roster also contains 222 top division scores and over 320 global caps.

The squad feature one forward, who scored 37 goals in over 100 appearances for Newcastle United after signing for them for nine million pounds from German league club Freiburg in January 2012.

He made his debut for the team in their most recent home match versus reigning title holders Collegiate Old Boys and netted all six goals in a six-two win - featuring a 32-minute first-half triple.

The squad for this campaign also includes former professionals such as English and Liverpool 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.

Collectively, the former top-flight players have claimed 15 significant honors and moved for combined transfer sums of about £123m.

Well-Known Figures and Global Stars

Stephen Ireland in action
He earned 6 Irish appearances, netting 4 goals

Stephen Ireland started turning out for the team during preseason this season through good friend and present team player Blake Norton, and the ex- Irish player then invited other ex-pros, who all compete in a midweek small-sided game, to join in.

Former Senegal striker Niasse, who netted twelve scores in sixty-five top-flight matches for Everton and even now goes to their home games, also made his debut against Collegiate OB - who are located in the city and wear an Blue training kit as their uniform.

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

"My friend Stephen Ireland said 'come and play, it's a laugh'," commented Niasse.

"After that he informed me we were facing a team from the city and the shock I had when I saw them wearing Blue shirts - I say this is strange for me!

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

"The fans who turn up and watch are pleased and to make someone's day if they watch us competing there and to pose us queries - it's more like the pleasure of us having a place we can enjoy football, with organisation of course."

So great is the bench strength at Wythenshawe, Niasse had his first game at full-back.

"That's a little different but then, I enjoy running and just move inside - I'm not defending that much," he said.

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

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

Maynor Figueroa in action
Ex- Wigan full-back Maynor Figueroa is turning out for the team

'Surreal Experience

In addition to the forward's six goals on his first game, Ireland has netted 8 in 3 appearances for Wythenshawe, while Boyd hit five on his debut appearance and Lescott, a centre-half by trade, scored a triple in one game up front.

Wythenshawe are top of the Premier Division with 3 wins from 3 and a GD of +19.

One opponent, thirty-eight, who features on the flank for the opposition, came up against former Wigan defender Figueroa on the weekend - and had to explain his young son who Heskey was.

Figueroa has played at two global tournaments for Honduras, in addition to playing in over 200 Premier League matches.

"It was going round like a rumor they had these former top-flight players," said the player.

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

"Also Emile [Heskey] got on and he's got 60-odd England appearances.

"We held our own for a good twenty minutes but then we had a player dismissed and it was tough.

"Our group really haven't ceased talking about it - I was calling my mum and brother on the journey home.

"The opponents were all dead sound, shaking our hands after the match - it was like playing a bunch of normal fellas.

"Now we are eager for the second fixture."

'We'll Still Win the League'

The manager coaches the opposition veterans team, who won the Premier Tier title the previous campaign, along with Paul Maguire.

"Our team scored one-nil up and had a

Robin Wilson MD
Robin Wilson MD

Elena Visser is a cloud architect and tech writer with a passion for simplifying complex cloud concepts.