Fans attending matches at Wythenshawe FC Vets have been taken by surprise as several former Premier League stars, including Joleon Lescott, have been spotted playing for the team in the ninth tier of English football.

Joleon Lescott, known for his days as a Manchester City and England defender, has made a striking return to the pitch by netting a hat-trick for Wythenshawe in the Cheshire Veterans Football League. It’s been eight years since he retired from professional football.

Proving that age is merely a number, Lescott has been joined on the field by his former City teammates Stephen Ireland and Nedum Onuoha, along with ex-Burnley midfielder George Boyd. Their presence has invigorated the team and brought a new level of excitement to the over-35 side.

The influx of these seasoned professionals, who collectively have 822 Premier League appearances to their names, has marked a significant change for the club.

In a recent match, Wythenshawe delivered a resounding 10-1 victory against Radcliffe FC Old Boys. Boyd was in sensational form, scoring five goals, while Ireland added four and Lescott, now playing as a striker, also contributed to the scoreline.

A picture of the Wythenshawe FC Vets bench showed Emile Heskey (far right), Maynor Figueroa (second from right), Papiss Cisse (second from left) and Oumar Niasse (far left)

Stephen Ireland, Cisse and Joleon Lescott during their Premier League playing days

Lescott – who scored a hat-trick for Wythenshawe FC Vets this season – was most recently named as part of Lee Carsley’s interim backroom team with the England senior team

Another impressive performance saw Wythenshawe secure a 7-1 win over AFC Monton, with Ireland once again scoring four and Lescott achieving yet another hat-trick.

Many of the players currently playing for Wythenshawe FC Vets have held coaching and punditry roles since their playing days.

Onuoha works for City as a community ambassador, while Lescott was most recently named as part of Lee Carsley’s interim backroom team with the England senior team following Gareth Southgate’s departure the previous month.

Lescott, who appeared 26 times for England, recently discussed his heroics with Wythenshawe FC on the In the Mixer podcast, adding that he is enjoying ‘being able to run around’.

Lescott said: ‘Over 35s, I’m a striker, 10k I did yesterday (in the game).

‘Two poachers goals to be fair, I recognised when the danger was and the other one, I forced the error.

‘For the level, I can press quite intensely, the defender went to pass back, hit it short and I went around the goalie.’

Legendary sports commentator Martin Tyler added: ‘This is an exclusive, this is something that should be making headline news: “Joleon Lescott hat-trick”.’ 

Ireland, Boyd and Lescott have a stunning 17 goals between them in the division, placing all three among the top scorers – with Ireland topping the charts with eight goals in two games.

Many of the players playing for Wythenshawe FC Vets have held coaching and punditry roles since their playing days, while Onuoha (left) works for Man City as an ambassador

The glitz and glamour of post-footballing days has seen the likes of Figueroa on the red carpet

Wythenshawe FC even uploaded a video of Ireland scoring a stunning, bending free-kick against AFC Monton a couple of weeks ago. 

And most recently, former Newcastle star Papis Cisse netted all six in Wythenshawe’s 6-2 defeat of Collegiate Old Boys.

Former Chelsea and Leicester star, Danny Drinkwater, is registered with the side but is yet to make an appearance. 

Unsurprisingly, fans have caught on, urging others to watch them play, with one writing on X: ‘Wythenshawe FC Vets. Wow. What a team and well worth a watch Sunday mornings.’

Another fan uploaded a picture of himself watching Lescott and co pitchside and said: ‘A few familiar faces playing for Wythenshawe Vets team this morning.’

Darron Gibson has also turned out for Wythenshawe FC’s senior squad in a 3-1 win over AFC Liverpool in September for his only appearance so far.

The answer to why so many ex-Premier League stars have flocked to Wythensawe FC Vets is partly due to the fact that so many of them still reside in nearby Cheshire’s ‘golden triangle’.

The area – which is less than 10 miles away from Wythenshawe – is comprised of Alderley Edge, Wilmslow and Prestbury and is sometimes called the ‘footballer belt’, where the house prices are among the highest in the region.

Oumar Niasse, who made 35 appearances for Everton, is another member of Wythenshawe FC

These are largely driven by luxury properties and high-profile residents, with footballers playing at Liverpool, Everton and the Manchester clubs enjoying the exclusivity of the area.

In the past couple of years many of the UK’s other high-value real estate locations – including most of central London and the Cornish coast, the Cotswolds and North Norfolk – have seen prices fall due to higher interest rates and economic and political uncertainty.

But, according to the UK House Price Index, average sale prices across Cheshire’s ‘golden circle’ – which counts Jack Grealish, Phil Foden and Jordan Pickford among its residents – increased by 10.7 per cent in the past year.

Foden earlier this year sold his Prestbury mansion for £3million, moving to a quieter home in the Cheshire countryside after police were reportedly called due to complaints over a late-night kids party.