Discover the Weekend League Squad With 1,800 Premier League Games

Wythenshawe Vets bench during a match
This bench for the team Vets during a six-two win versus Collegiate Old Boys on October 19th (left to right) - one player, another, a teammate, Blake Norton, Maynor Figueroa, Dean Warburton and Emile Heskey

What can you improve a excellent veteran team who have won back-to-back titles, including a league-cup double with thirty victories from 32 matches?

Recruit a group of ex- pro players who have performed at the elite tier of club football and global football as you pursue more honors.

A Manchester side boasts an non-professional vets team with nine former Premier League players in their active roster.

Two Hundred Twenty-Two Top Division Scores, Three Hundred Twenty-Five International Caps

The team Veterans Over-35s are based in southern the city and play in the Cheshire-based Veterans Division Premier Tier.

Their lineup this season boasts 9 ex- Premier League footballers, with a combined over 1,800 top-flight appearances.

The elite roster also contains 222 Premier League scores and 325 global appearances.

They feature one forward, who scored 37 goals in 117 games for his former club after joining them for £9m from Bundesliga club SC Freiburg in 2012.

He made his first appearance for Wythenshawe in their last home-field match against reigning champions Collegiate Old Boys and scored all six scores in a 6-2 victory - featuring a 32-minute opening period hat-trick.

Wythenshawe's team for this season also includes former professionals such as English and Anfield striker Emile Heskey, Hull City and Burnley FC midfielder George Boyd, Toffees striker Oumar Niasse, Wigan full-back Maynor Figueroa, City duo Stephen Ireland and Nedum Onuoha and top-flight title victors Joleon Lescott and Danny Drinkwater.

In total, the ex- Premier League players have claimed fifteen big honors and moved for total transfer sums of approximately £123 million.

Famous Names and International Players

Stephen Ireland in action
He earned six Irish appearances, scoring four scores

Ireland began turning out for the team during pre-season this season through good mate and current team player Blake Norton, and the former Irish midfielder then invited additional ex-pros, who all compete in a midweek small-sided game, to join in.

Former Senegalese striker Oumar Niasse, who scored 12 goals in 65 Premier League games for Everton and even now attends their home games, also had his first appearance versus the opposition - who are based in Liverpool and use an Blue training kit as their strip.

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

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

"Then he informed me we were playing a side from the city and the surprise I had when I noticed them sporting Blue kits - I thought this is strange for me!

"If you still love football and you know you can still do it, anywhere you can kick a ball, what are you going to choose?

"Those fans who turn up and watch are happy and to give a moment if they see us playing there and to ask us questions - it's more like the pleasure of us having somewhere we can enjoy football, with structure of course."

So great is the strength in depth at Wythenshawe, Niasse made his debut at full-back.

"That's a bit different but then, I love sprinting and just go inside - I'm not defending that much," he added.

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

"The movement is what I'm seeking. It's enjoyable."

Maynor Figueroa in action
Former Wigan Athletic full-back Maynor Figueroa is turning out for Wythenshawe

Dreamlike' Feeling

In addition to the forward's six scores on his first game, Stephen Ireland has scored eight in 3 appearances for the side, while Boyd hit 5 on his debut match and Joleon Lescott, a centre-half by trade, notched a hat-trick in one match as a striker.

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

One opponent, thirty-eight, who plays on the wing for the opposition, faced ex- Wigan defender Figueroa on Sunday - and had to tell his young son who Heskey was.

Figueroa has played at two global tournaments for Honduras, in addition to featuring in over two hundred top-flight matches.

"It was spreading like a rumor they had all these ex-Premier League stars," said Barrow.

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

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

"We competed well for a solid twenty mins but then we had a man sent off and it was hard.

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

"The opponents were all dead sound, shaking our hands after the game - it was like facing a bunch of normal fellas.

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

'We'll Still Take the Title'

The manager coaches the opposition vets side, who won the Top Division championship the previous campaign, together with Paul Maguire.

"Our team went 1-0 up and had a

Rebecca Gallegos
Rebecca Gallegos

A seasoned gaming analyst with over a decade of experience in online casino trends and player psychology.