Stephen Ireland Starring In Sunday League Team Of Ex-Prem Stars

Stephen Ireland is one of a sensational group of Premier League legends and cult heroes tearing it up in Sunday League football.

A staple of English football culture, Sunday League football is traditionally a lower-standard fare, and players may be horrified to see a lineup littered with Premier League talent on the opposite side.

The Wythenshawe FC Veterans team have taken that to a whole new level, with their assembled team boasting nearly 1,700 Premier League appearances among them.

Of the ex-Premier League talent, Ireland has been the standout player.

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Stephen Ireland starring in crazy team of Premier League veterans in over-35s league

The Wythenshawe FC Veterans are the Over 35s division of the South Manchester club, and compete in the Cheshire Veterans League.

Their match-up with Collegiate Old Boys on Sunday garnered much attention online, with Stephen Ireland lining up alongside fellow Premier League stalwarts Papiss Cisse, Maynor Figueroa, and Oumar Niasse in one of the craziest Sunday League teams we've ever seen.

Even crazier was that Premier League icon Emile Heskey was introduced off the bench - he alone has 110 goals from his 516 top-flight appearances.

Wythenshawe FC posted match highlights to TikTok, showing that Stephen Ireland was absolutely everywhere, including getting stuck in to tackles and taking set pieces.

From the rebound to one of Ireland's free kicks, Newcastle icon Papiss Cisse scored one of his six goals en route to a 6-2 victory.

@wythenshawefc Notice some VERY FAMILIAR faces, in our Vets Over 35s Team #premierleague #wythenshawe #football #footballtiktok #uptheammies ♬ original sound - Al Saeid Catering

Despite Cisse racking up a rare double hat-trick, it is still Ireland who sits as the league's top scorer, having scored four goals in each of Wythenshawe's opening two games.

The side sits top of the league with three wins from three and a ridiculous goal difference of +19.

What will be scary to their opposition is what might be waiting down the line. Heskey, Cisse, Niasse, and Figueroa only played their first games of the campaign on Sunday.

Meanwhile, Nedum Onuoha, George Boyd, and Joleon Lescott (moonlighting as a striker) have lined out in previous games this season.

Between them, the squad of players that have lined out for Wythenshawe Veterans this season have an astonishing 1,682 Premier League appearances. You would imagine that the average Sunday League team might struggle to top that.

The club posted a photo of their subs bench for Sunday's win over Collegiate Old Boys, summing up the ludicrous talent at their disposal.

It is only Sunday League, but with Stephen Ireland and co. tearing it up, it's surely Wythenshawe's title to lose at this stage.

Has there ever been a better Sunday League team than theirs?

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