Non-league football team sign Man Utd icon who won two Premier League titles

Jack Otway
Mon, 06 Apr 2026 09:17:27 +0000

Wythenshawe FC Vets have secured the permanent signature of Manchester United icon Antonio Valencia, further bolstering their remarkable roster of ex-Premier League stars that has captured widespread attention online.

The Cheshire-based outfit, competing in the ninth tier of English football, boasts a squad with a combined total exceeding 1,800 appearances in the top flight.

Their announcement on Instagram read: "We're proud to welcome Premier League winner, Antonio Valencia to Wythenshawe Vets.

"A Manchester United legend. Title winner. Now wearing our badge. Welcome to the club, Antonio!"

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The club's extraordinary recruitment of former professional talent has seen them amass more than 30,000 followers on TikTok in recent months.

Former Manchester City midfielder Stephen Ireland features regularly for the veterans side, alongside Danny Drinkwater, who previously played for both Chelsea and Leicester City.

Newcastle United favourite Papiss Cisse has proven particularly prolific, netting six goals during an emphatic 11-0 demolition of South Liverpool that helped propel the club into the spotlight during October and November.

The list of recognisable names extends considerably further, with Ravel Morrison, Danny Simpson, Phil Bardsley, Dale Stephens, Glenn Whelan, Joleon Lescott, Danny Webber, Maynor Figueroa, Emile Heskey and George Boyd all having pulled on the Wythenshawe shirt.

These high-scoring victories and celebrity signings have transformed the amateur club into a genuine social media phenomenon.

Valencia, now 40, joined Manchester United from Wigan in 2009 and remained at Old Trafford for an entire decade, ultimately earning the captain's armband.

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The Ecuadorian international initially made his name as a pacey wide player before successfully reinventing himself as a right-back during his time with the Red Devils.

His trophy cabinet from those years includes two Premier League titles and an FA Cup winners' medal.

The former international had already been turning out for Wythenshawe in midweek fixtures throughout the current campaign, but his arrangement with the club has now been formalised on a permanent basis.

The club continues to attract interest from high-profile figures eager to join their growing roster of former professionals.

Wayne Rooney is reportedly keen on making an appearance for the veterans side, which would add another Manchester United legend to their ranks.

Perhaps most surprisingly, eight-time Olympic gold medallist Usain Bolt has expressed his desire to become part of the Wythenshawe project.

Speaking to talkSPORT about the prospect of joining the club, the Jamaican sprinting icon declared: "Listen, I'm ready. I'm ready.

"If I get into some shape, I'm ready to go."

Such endorsements from sporting royalty demonstrate just how far this ninth-tier club's reputation has spread.