🔗 Share this article Introduce this Sunday Division Team With Over 1,800 Premier League Appearances The bench for Wythenshawe Vets during a 6-2 triumph against their opponents on October 19th (from left to right) - Oumar Niasse, Papiss Cisse, a teammate, Blake Norton, Maynor Figueroa, Dean Warburton and Emile Heskey How can you improve a excellent veteran squad that have claimed consecutive titles, including a double triumph boasting thirty wins from thirty-two matches? Bring in a group of former pro players who have played at the top level of club and global football as you target more silverware. A Manchester side fields an non-professional veterans team with 9 former Premier League players in their active roster. Two Hundred Twenty-Two Premier League Goals, Three Hundred Twenty-Five International Caps The team Veterans Over-35s are situated in southern Manchester and play in the Cheshire-based Veterans League Top Tier. Their squad list this campaign includes nine ex- top-flight footballers, with a total over 1,800 top-flight games. The elite roster also includes over 220 top division scores and 325 international caps. They include one forward, who notched 37 goals in 117 appearances for Newcastle United after moving to them for nine million pounds from German league side SC Freiburg in 2012. Cisse had his first appearance for Wythenshawe in their most recent home game against defending title holders their rivals and scored all six goals in a six-two win - including a 32-minute first-half triple. The squad for this campaign also features ex- pros such as English and Liverpool forward Emile Heskey, Hull City and Burnley FC winger George Boyd, Everton forward Oumar Niasse, Wigan full-back Maynor Figueroa, Manchester City pair Stephen Ireland and Nedum Onuoha and top-flight championship winners Joleon Lescott and Danny Drinkwater. Collectively, the ex- top-flight footballers have claimed fifteen big trophies and transferred for total transfer fees of approximately £123m. Well-Known Figures and International Players Stephen Ireland earned 6 Republic of Ireland appearances, netting four goals Stephen Ireland started turning out for the team during preseason this summer through good mate and current Wythenshawe teammate Blake Norton, and the former Republic of Ireland midfielder then asked other former professionals, who all compete in a weekly small-sided game, to participate. Former Senegalese forward Niasse, who netted twelve scores in sixty-five Premier League matches for the Toffees and even now attends their matches at Goodison Park, also made his first appearance against Collegiate OB - who are located in Liverpool and use an Blue training kit as their uniform. Oumar Niasse played for the club from 2016 and 2020 "A mate Stephen told me 'join and have a game, it's enjoyable'," commented Niasse. "After that he told me we were facing a side from the city and the surprise I had when I noticed them sporting Blue kits - I thought this is strange for me! "When you still enjoy the game and you feel you can still play, wherever you can kick a ball, what are you going to do? "Those spectators who come and watch are pleased and to give someone's moment if they see us playing there and to ask us queries - it's more like the joy of us getting a place we can play, with structure of course." Such is the bench strength at Wythenshawe, Niasse made his first game at full-back. "It's a bit different but then, I enjoy sprinting and just move inside - I'm not defending that much," he added. "I tell my defender 'I'm not staying' and that I'm just going to keep attacking. "The movement is what I'm after. It's enjoyable." Former Wigan defender Maynor Figueroa is turning out for the team Dreamlike' Scenario In addition to the forward's six goals on debut, Ireland has netted 8 in 3 appearances for Wythenshawe, while George Boyd scored five on his debut appearance and Joleon Lescott, a centre-half by trade, scored a hat-trick in one game up front. The team are leading of the Premier Division with three wins from three and a goal difference of +19. One opponent, 38, who plays on the wing for the opposition, faced former Latics full-back Figueroa on Sunday - and had to tell his young son who Heskey was. Figueroa has played at two global tournaments for Honduras, in as well as playing in more than 200 Premier League matches. "The news was going round like wildfire they had all these ex-Premier League stars," remarked the player. "I think I was a little awestruck playing against Figueroa to be honest. "Even Heskey got on and he's got over 60 English appearances. "We competed well for a good 20 minutes but then we had a man sent off and it was tough. "We literally haven't stopped talking about it - I was phoning my mother and brother on the journey home. "They were all friendly, shaking our hands after the match - it was like playing a bunch of normal fellas. "Now we can't wait for the return match." 'We'll Still Take the League' Andy Kirby coaches the opposition veterans team, who won the Top Tier championship the previous campaign, together with Paul Maguire. "Our team went 1-0 up and had a