Introduce this Sunday Division Squad Featuring Over 1,800 Premier League Matches

Wythenshawe Vets bench during a match
The bench for Wythenshawe Veterans during a 6-2 win against Collegiate Old Boys on 19 October (from left to right) - one player, Papiss Cisse, Marcel Edwards, Blake Norton, Maynor Figueroa, Dean Warburton and Emile Heskey

What can you improve a excellent experienced squad who have secured consecutive titles, including a league-cup double boasting thirty wins from thirty-two games?

Sign a raft of former professionals who have competed at the highest tier of club and global soccer as you pursue more honors.

A Greater Manchester side fields an amateur veterans squad with 9 ex- top-flight players in their current lineup.

Two Hundred Twenty-Two Top Division Goals, Three Hundred Twenty-Five International Appearances

Wythenshawe Vets Over-35s are situated in southern Manchester and play in the Cheshire-based Vets League Top Division.

Their lineup this campaign boasts 9 former Premier League players, with a combined over 1,800 elite matches.

The star-studded squad also boasts over 220 Premier League scores and over 320 international caps.

They include one forward, who notched thirty-seven goals in over 100 games for his former club after joining them for nine million pounds from Bundesliga club SC Freiburg in January 2012.

He made his first appearance for Wythenshawe in their last home-field match against reigning title holders Collegiate Old Boys and netted every one of the six goals in a six-two win - featuring a half-hour opening period hat-trick.

Wythenshawe's roster for this season also includes ex- pros such as English and Anfield forward Emile Heskey, Hull City and Burnley midfielder George Boyd, Toffees forward Oumar Niasse, Wigan full-back Maynor Figueroa, Manchester City duo Stephen Ireland and Nedum Onuoha and top-flight title winners Joleon Lescott and Danny Drinkwater.

In total, the former top-flight players have claimed fifteen major trophies and transferred for combined transfer fees of around £123m.

Household Figures and International Stars

Stephen Ireland in action
Stephen Ireland won six Republic of Ireland caps, netting four scores

Ireland started playing for the team during preseason this summer through good friend and present team teammate Blake Norton, and the former Irish midfielder then asked additional former professionals, who all compete in a weekly small-sided match, to participate.

Former Senegalese striker Oumar Niasse, who netted 12 goals in 65 top-flight games for the Toffees and even now goes to their home games, also made his first appearance against the opposition - who are located in Liverpool and wear an Blue warm-up gear as their strip.

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

"A mate Stephen told me 'join and play, it's good fun'," commented the striker.

"Then he told me we were facing a team from the city and the surprise I had when I noticed them sporting Everton kits - I say this is strange for me!

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

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

So great is the strength in depth at Wythenshawe, Niasse made his debut at defender.

"That's a bit different but then, I love running and just go inside - I'm not staying back that much," he said.

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

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

Maynor Figueroa in action
Former Wigan Athletic defender Maynor Figueroa is playing for the team

Dreamlike' Feeling

Along with the forward's 6 goals on debut, Ireland has scored eight in 3 games for Wythenshawe, while Boyd scored five on his first appearance and Lescott, a defender by trade, scored a triple in one match up front.

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

One opponent, thirty-eight, who features on the flank for the opposition, faced former Wigan defender Maynor Figueroa on Sunday - and had to tell his young son who Heskey was.

Figueroa has appeared at 2 global tournaments for Honduras, in addition to featuring in over 200 top-flight matches.

"The news was going round like wildfire they had all these ex-Premier League stars," said the player.

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

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

"Our side held our own for a solid twenty minutes but then we had a man sent off and it was tough.

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

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

"Now we are eager for the second fixture."

'We'll Still Win the Title'

Andy Kirby manages the Collegiate veterans side, who secured the Top Tier championship last season, together with Paul Maguire.

"We scored 1-0 ahead and had a

Martin Stokes
Martin Stokes

Elena Voss is a digital anthropologist and writer exploring the cultural impact of emerging technologies.