Discover the Weekend League Club Boasting Over 1,800 Premier League Games

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

How do you enhance a excellent veteran team who have won consecutive championships, featuring a double triumph with 30 wins from 32 matches?

Bring in a group of ex- pro players that have played at the top tier of club football and international football as you target more honors.

One Greater Manchester club fields an amateur veterans team with 9 former Premier League footballers in their active squad.

222 Top Division Goals, 325 Global Appearances

The team Veterans Over-35s are based in south Manchester and compete in the Cheshire-based Vets Division Premier Division.

Their roster this season includes 9 former top-flight footballers, with a combined nearly 1,800 Premier League games.

This elite roster also boasts 222 top division scores and 325 global caps.

The squad feature Papiss Cisse, who netted 37 scores in 117 games for Newcastle United after signing for them for £9m from Bundesliga club Freiburg in 2012.

He made his debut for the team in their most recent home-field match against reigning champions Collegiate Old Boys and scored all six goals in a 6-2 victory - including a half-hour first-half triple.

The team for this campaign also features ex- pros such as English and Liverpool striker Emile Heskey, Hull and Burnley FC midfielder George Boyd, Everton striker Oumar Niasse, Wigan defender Maynor Figueroa, Manchester City pair Stephen Ireland and Nedum Onuoha and top-flight title winners Joleon Lescott and Danny Drinkwater.

In total, the ex- Premier League players have secured fifteen big trophies and transferred for combined transfer sums of around £123m.

Household Figures and International Stars

Stephen Ireland in action
Stephen Ireland earned six Irish caps, scoring four scores

Stephen Ireland started playing for the side during preseason this season through good mate and current team player Blake Norton, and the ex- Republic of Ireland midfielder then asked additional former professionals, who all play in a weekly small-sided match, to join in.

Ex- Senegalese striker Niasse, who netted twelve goals in sixty-five Premier League games for Everton and even now goes to their home games, also had his first appearance against Collegiate OB - who are based in the city and wear an Blue training kit as their strip.

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

"A mate Stephen told me 'join and have a game, it's good fun'," said the striker.

"After that he told me we were playing a side from Liverpool and the surprise I had when I saw them sporting Everton shirts - I say this is strange for me!

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

"The spectators who come and see are happy and to give someone's moment if they watch us playing there and to pose us queries - it's more like the pleasure of us having somewhere we can play, with structure of course."

Such is the strength in depth at the club, he made his debut at defender.

"That's a little unusual but then, I love running and just go inside - I'm not defending that much," he said.

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

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

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

Dreamlike' Scenario

Along with the forward's 6 goals on debut, Stephen Ireland has netted 8 in three games for the side, while George Boyd scored five on his first match and Lescott, a centre-half by position, scored a triple in one game up front.

The team are top of the Premier Tier with three victories from 3 and a goal difference of +19.

One opponent, 38, who features on the flank for the opposition, came up against former Latics full-back Figueroa on the weekend - and had to explain his nine-year-old boy who Emile Heskey was.

Figueroa has appeared at 2 global tournaments for Honduras, in as well as featuring in more than 200 Premier League matches.

"It was spreading like a rumor they had these former top-flight players," remarked Barrow.

"I felt I was a little awestruck playing against him to be honest.

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

"Our side held our own for a solid 20 minutes but then we had a player dismissed and it was hard.

"Our group literally have not stopped chatting about it - I was phoning my mum and sibling on the way home.

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

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

We Will Still Take the Title'

The manager coaches the Collegiate veterans side, who won the Premier Tier title the previous campaign, together with Paul Maguire.

"We went 1-0 ahead and had a

Christopher Adams
Christopher Adams

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