Introduce this Sunday Division Team With 1,800 Top-Flight Games

Wythenshawe Vets bench during a match
The bench for the team Veterans during a six-two triumph versus their opponents on October 19th (left to right) - Oumar Niasse, Papiss Cisse, a teammate, Blake Norton, Maynor Figueroa, Dean Warburton and Emile Heskey

What can you enhance a excellent veteran squad who have won consecutive championships, featuring a league-cup double with thirty wins from thirty-two matches?

Bring in a group of ex- pro players who have competed at the elite tier of club and global football as you aim for more trophies.

A Greater Manchester club fields an amateur vets squad with 9 former top-flight footballers in their current roster.

222 Top Division Goals, 325 Global Appearances

The team Veterans Over-35s are based in southern the city and compete in the Cheshire-based Vets Division Top Tier.

The roster this campaign features 9 ex- top-flight footballers, with a combined 1,801 elite games.

The high-profile roster also includes 222 top division scores and 325 international appearances.

The squad feature Papiss Cisse, who netted 37 goals in 117 games for his former club after joining them for £9m from Bundesliga side Freiburg in 2012.

Cisse had his debut for Wythenshawe in their most recent home game versus reigning title holders Collegiate Old Boys and netted all six scores in a 6-2 win - including a half-hour opening period triple.

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

In total, the ex- top-flight players have won 15 significant honors and transferred for total transfer fees of around £123m.

Household Names and International Players

Stephen Ireland in action
Stephen Ireland won six Republic of Ireland appearances, netting 4 scores

Stephen Ireland started turning out for the team during preseason this summer through good mate and present team player Blake Norton, and the ex- Republic of Ireland player then invited other former professionals, who all compete in a midweek small-sided game, to participate.

Former Senegal forward Niasse, who scored twelve scores in 65 Premier League games for Everton and still attends their home games, also made his debut versus Collegiate OB - who are based in the city and wear an Everton warm-up gear as their uniform.

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

"A friend Stephen said 'join and have a game, it's enjoyable'," said Niasse.

"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 strange for me!

"When you still enjoy the game and you know 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 pleased and to give someone's day if they watch us playing there and to ask us queries - it's really about the joy of us having a place we can enjoy football, with structure of course."

So great is the bench strength at the club, he had his first game at defender.

"That's a bit different but then, I enjoy running and just go forward - I'm not defending that much," he said.

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

"That running is what I'm after. It's good fun."

Maynor Figueroa in action
Former Wigan Athletic defender Maynor Figueroa is playing for Wythenshawe

Unreal Feeling

Along with Cisse's six scores on debut, Stephen Ireland has netted 8 in three appearances for the side, while Boyd hit 5 on his first match and Lescott, a centre-half by position, notched a hat-trick in one game as a striker.

Wythenshawe are leading of the Top Tier with 3 victories from three and a goal difference of +19.

One opponent, thirty-eight, who plays on the wing for the opposition, faced former Wigan full-back Maynor Figueroa on Sunday - and had to explain his nine-year-old boy who Emile Heskey was.

Figueroa has played at 2 World Cups for his country, in as well as playing in more than 200 top-flight matches.

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

"I felt I was a bit starstruck facing Figueroa to be honest.

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

"We competed well for a good 20 minutes but then we had a player sent off and it was tough.

"Our group literally haven't stopped talking about it - I was phoning my mother and brother on the way home.

"They were all friendly, shaking our hands after the match - it was like playing a bunch of regular guys.

"Now we are eager for the return fixture."

'We'll Still Take the Title'

The manager coaches the Collegiate vets side, who won the Top Division title last season, along with his co-manager.

"We scored 1-0 ahead and had a

Brenda Schmidt
Brenda Schmidt

A tech journalist and futurist with a passion for exploring how emerging technologies transform industries and everyday life.

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