Discover the Sunday Division Team Boasting 1,800 Premier League Appearances

Wythenshawe Vets bench during a match
This substitutes for the team Vets in a six-two victory against their opponents on October 19th (left to right) - Oumar Niasse, another, Marcel Edwards, Blake Norton, Maynor Figueroa, Dean Warburton and Emile Heskey

How can you enhance a excellent veteran side who have claimed consecutive championships, including a league-cup double boasting 30 wins from thirty-two games?

Bring in a raft of former pro players who have performed at the elite tier of club and international soccer as you aim for further silverware.

A Manchester side boasts an amateur veterans squad with 9 former Premier League footballers in their current squad.

Two Hundred Twenty-Two Premier League Scores, Three Hundred Twenty-Five Global Appearances

Wythenshawe Veterans Over-35s are located in south Manchester and play in the Cheshire-based Veterans League Premier Division.

The lineup this campaign includes 9 ex- Premier League players, with a combined over 1,800 top-flight matches.

The high-profile roster also includes 222 top division scores and over 320 international caps.

They feature one forward, who scored thirty-seven scores in over 100 appearances for Newcastle United after joining them for £9m from Bundesliga club SC Freiburg in January 2012.

He made his first appearance for the team in their most recent home game against defending title holders their rivals and scored every one of the six goals in a six-two victory - featuring a half-hour opening period triple.

Wythenshawe's squad for this season also includes ex- professionals such as England and Liverpool forward Emile Heskey, Hull City and Burnley midfielder George Boyd, Toffees striker Oumar Niasse, Wigan Athletic defender Maynor Figueroa, City duo Stephen Ireland and Nedum Onuoha and top-flight championship winners Joleon Lescott and Danny Drinkwater.

Collectively, the former top-flight footballers have secured 15 big trophies and transferred for total transfer sums of approximately £123 million.

Household Figures and Global Players

Stephen Ireland in action
He earned 6 Irish appearances, scoring four goals

Ireland started playing for the side in preseason this season through good mate and current Wythenshawe teammate Blake Norton, and the former Republic of Ireland player then invited other former professionals, who all play in a midweek nine-a-side match, to participate.

Ex- Senegalese striker Oumar Niasse, who netted twelve goals in sixty-five Premier League games for the Toffees and even now goes to their home games, also made his first appearance against Collegiate OB - who are located in the city and use an Everton warm-up gear as their uniform.

Oumar Niasse playing for Everton
Oumar Niasse featured for Everton between 2016 and 2020

"A friend Stephen Ireland said 'come and play, it's good fun'," commented the striker.

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

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

"Those fans who turn up and see are happy and to make someone's moment if they see us competing there and to ask us questions - it's more like the joy of us getting a place we can enjoy football, with organisation of course."

Such is the bench strength at Wythenshawe, he had his debut at full-back.

"It's a little different but then, I enjoy sprinting and just go forward - I'm not staying back that much," he said.

"I tell my centre-back 'I'm not hanging back' and that I'm just going to keep running.

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

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

Unreal Experience

In addition to Cisse's 6 goals on his first game, Stephen Ireland has netted eight in 3 games for the side, while Boyd scored 5 on his first match and Lescott, a centre-half by trade, notched a triple in one game up front.

Wythenshawe are leading of the Premier Division with three wins from 3 and a GD of plus nineteen.

One opponent, 38, who plays on the wing for the opposition, came up against former Latics defender Maynor Figueroa on the weekend - and had to explain his young boy who Emile Heskey was.

He has played at 2 World Cups for Honduras, in as well as featuring in more than 200 top-flight matches.

"The news was spreading like a rumor they had these former top-flight players," remarked the player.

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

"Also Heskey got on and he's has 60-odd English appearances.

"Our side held our own for a good 20 minutes but then we had a man sent off and it was tough.

"Our group literally have not ceased talking about it - I was calling my mother and sibling on the journey home.

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

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

We Will Still Win the Title'

The manager coaches the opposition vets side, who secured the Top Tier title last season, together with his co-manager.

"We scored 1-0 up and had a

Vincent Hamilton
Vincent Hamilton

A seasoned sports analyst with over a decade of experience in betting markets, specializing in data-driven predictions and risk management.