Meet the Weekend League Squad Featuring 1,800 English Top Division Games

Wythenshawe Vets bench during a match
This bench for the team Vets in a 6-2 triumph against their opponents on 19 October (left to right) - Oumar Niasse, another, a teammate, Blake Norton, Maynor Figueroa, Dean Warburton and Emile Heskey

How can you enhance a stellar experienced squad that have won back-to-back championships, including a league-cup double with thirty wins from 32 matches?

Sign a raft of ex- pro players who have competed at the top level of club football and international football as you pursue more honors.

One Manchester side has an amateur vets team with 9 ex- top-flight players in their current roster.

Two Hundred Twenty-Two Premier League Goals, 325 International Caps

The team Veterans Over-35s are situated in south Manchester and play in the Cheshire Veterans League Premier Division.

Their roster this campaign features 9 former top-flight players, with a collective 1,801 elite games.

This star-studded squad also contains 222 Premier League goals and over 320 global appearances.

The squad feature one forward, who scored 37 goals in over 100 games for Newcastle United after joining them for £9m from German league club SC Freiburg in 2012.

He made his first appearance for the team in their last home-field game versus reigning champions Collegiate Old Boys and netted all six scores in a six-two win - including a 32-minute first-half triple.

The team for this season also features ex- pros such as England and Liverpool forward Emile Heskey, Hull City and Burnley winger George Boyd, Everton striker Oumar Niasse, Wigan defender Maynor Figueroa, City pair Stephen Ireland and Nedum Onuoha and top-flight title victors Joleon Lescott and Danny Drinkwater.

Together, the former Premier League players have secured fifteen significant honors and transferred for combined transfer sums of approximately £123 million.

Household Names and Global Players

Stephen Ireland in action
He earned 6 Irish appearances, netting four scores

Stephen Ireland started playing for the team during preseason this summer through close mate and present team player Blake Norton, and the former Republic of Ireland midfielder then asked additional former professionals, who all play in a midweek small-sided game, to participate.

Former Senegal forward Oumar Niasse, who scored twelve goals in 65 top-flight matches for the Toffees and even now attends their matches at Goodison Park, also had his first appearance versus Collegiate OB - who are located in the city and wear an Everton training kit as their uniform.

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

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

"After that he informed me we were playing a side from the city and the shock I had when I noticed them wearing Everton kits - I thought this is strange for me!

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

"Those spectators who come and see are happy and to make someone's day if they see us competing there and to ask us queries - it's really about the joy of us getting somewhere we can enjoy football, with structure of course."

Such is the squad depth at Wythenshawe, he made his first game at defender.

"That's a bit unusual but then, I love running and just move inside - 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.

"That running is what I'm looking for. It's enjoyable."

Maynor Figueroa in action
Ex- Wigan defender Maynor Figueroa is turning out for Wythenshawe

Unreal Scenario

In addition to Cisse's six goals on his first game, Ireland has scored 8 in 3 appearances for the side, while Boyd hit five on his debut match and Joleon Lescott, a centre-half by position, scored a hat-trick in one game up front.

The team are leading of the Premier Tier with 3 wins from 3 and a GD of plus nineteen.

One opponent, 38, who plays on the wing for Collegiate OB, faced former Latics full-back Figueroa on the weekend - and had to tell his nine-year-old boy who Emile Heskey was.

Figueroa has appeared at 2 World Cups for Honduras, in as well as featuring in over two hundred Premier League games.

"It was going round like a rumor they had these former top-flight stars," said Barrow.

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

"Even Emile [Heskey] got on and he's got over 60 England caps.

"Our side competed well for a good twenty minutes but then we had a man sent off and it was hard.

"We really have not ceased talking about it - I was calling my mum and brother on the journey home.

"The opponents were all really nice, shaking our hands after the match - it was like playing a bunch of regular fellas.

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

We Will Still Win the Title'

The manager manages the Collegiate veterans team, who secured the Premier Tier title the previous campaign, together with Paul Maguire.

"Our team went one-nil ahead and had a

Summer Sullivan
Summer Sullivan

A seasoned gambling analyst and writer specializing in UK online casino trends and responsible gaming practices.