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Wythenshawe Vets bench during a match
The substitutes for Wythenshawe Vets during a six-two win against their opponents on 19 October (left to right) - one player, Papiss Cisse, a teammate, Blake Norton, Maynor Figueroa, Dean Warburton and Emile Heskey

How do you improve a stellar veteran side that have secured back-to-back titles, including a league-cup double boasting 30 victories from thirty-two matches?

Recruit a collection of ex- pro players that have performed at the highest tier of club football and international football as you aim for additional trophies.

A Greater Manchester side boasts an non-professional vets team with 9 ex- top-flight footballers in their present roster.

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

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

Their squad list this season features nine ex- Premier League players, with a total 1,801 top-flight appearances.

This high-profile squad also boasts over 220 top division scores and 325 global appearances.

The squad feature one forward, who netted 37 scores in over 100 appearances for his former club after signing for them for £9m from German league club SC Freiburg in January 2012.

Cisse had his first appearance for the team in their last home-field game against reigning champions their rivals and netted every one of the six goals in a six-two victory - featuring a 32-minute first-half triple.

The squad for this season also includes ex- professionals such as England and Anfield striker Emile Heskey, Hull City and Burnley midfielder George Boyd, Toffees striker Oumar Niasse, Wigan Athletic full-back Maynor Figueroa, City pair Stephen Ireland and Nedum Onuoha and top-flight championship victors Joleon Lescott and Danny Drinkwater.

Together, the ex- Premier League footballers have claimed fifteen significant trophies and transferred for combined transfer fees of approximately £123 million.

Well-Known Names and International Stars

Stephen Ireland in action
Stephen Ireland earned 6 Republic of Ireland caps, scoring four scores

Stephen Ireland started turning out for the side during pre-season this summer through good mate and current Wythenshawe player Blake Norton, and the former Republic of Ireland player then invited other former professionals, who all play in a weekly nine-a-side game, to join in.

Former Senegal forward Niasse, who netted twelve goals in 65 Premier League matches for Everton and even now goes to their matches at Goodison Park, also made his debut versus the opposition - who are based in Liverpool and use an Blue warm-up gear as their strip.

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

"A friend Stephen told me 'join and play, it's good fun'," said Niasse.

"After that he told me we were facing a team from Liverpool and the shock I had when I noticed them sporting Blue kits - I say this is wrong for me!

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

"The fans who come and watch are pleased and to give a day if they watch us competing there and to ask us questions - it's more like the pleasure of us getting somewhere we can enjoy football, with organisation of course."

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

"That's a bit different but then, I love running and just move forward - I'm not defending that much," he added.

"I tell my defender 'I'm not staying' and that I'm just going to keep attacking.

"The running is what I'm looking for. It's good fun."

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

Dreamlike' Feeling

In addition to Cisse's six goals on his first game, Stephen Ireland has scored 8 in 3 appearances for the side, while Boyd hit 5 on his first appearance and Lescott, a defender by trade, scored a hat-trick in one game up front.

Wythenshawe are leading of the Top Division with three wins from three and a goal difference of plus nineteen.

Paul Barrow, 38, who features on the wing for the opposition, came up against ex- Latics defender Figueroa on Sunday - and had to tell his nine-year-old boy who Emile Heskey was.

Figueroa has played at two global tournaments for his country, in addition to featuring in over 200 top-flight games.

"The news was going round like a rumor they had all these former top-flight players," remarked the player.

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

"Even Emile [Heskey] came on and he's got 60-odd English appearances.

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

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

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

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

'We'll Still Win the Title'

Andy Kirby manages the Collegiate veterans team, who secured the Top Tier title the previous campaign, together with Paul Maguire.

"We scored one-nil ahead and had a

Traci Duncan
Traci Duncan

A tech journalist and digital strategist with over a decade of experience covering emerging technologies and consumer electronics.

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