Wayne Rooney Invited to Join £123m Sunday League Team After Papiss Cisse's Stunning Seven-Goal Half!

HE scored one of the all-time great Premier League goals, stunning Petr Cech and electrifying 40,000 fans at Stamford Bridge.

Over 13 years later, cult hero unleashed SEVEN second-half goals in a Sunday League match in South Manchester, after rocking up late in a White Bentley and performing a token warm-up.

A picture of the Wythenshawe FC Vets bench showed is Papiss Cisse (far left), George Boyd, Mayor Figueroa, Stephen Ireland, and Danny Drinkwater.Credit: Andy Kelvin / Kelvinmedia Cisse was the star of the show scoring seven second-half goals against South Liverpool VetsCredit: Andy Kelvin / Kelvinmedia Ex- Manchester City midfielder Stephen Ireland was the first player to get involved, later inviting his ex-pro palsCredit: Andy Kelvin / Kelvinmedia

Cisse owes his second-act stardom to close chum , who invited him to lace up his boots for ninth-tier Wythenshawe Vets.

Ex-City midfielder Ireland has turned the Cheshire Over-35 division on its head by recruiting an array of former professional players to road worker Kieran Megran’s squad.

Ireland joined in pre-season through long-term friend and current player Blake Norton, who thought last season’s title-winning team needed a trump card after losing two cup finals.

The former star then initiated a chain reaction, inviting his ex-pro pals, who all play together in a midweek nine-a-side game, to join in.

Ireland said: “I’m turning people away. My phone hasn’t stopped, I’ve got players asking ‘how do I sign up?’ I just want to be wary of not bringing too many people.

“I want it to be a mix of the proper old vets with maybe four or five pros each time. But it is great fun, even as an incentive during the week to prepare for.”

Wythenshawe’s elite recruitment continued on Sunday with the debut of Premier League champion , 35, as legend George Boyd returned.

‘s all-time leading cap holder Maynor Figueroa and City cult hero Jefferson Montero also arrived together in a blacked-out .

It was Sunday League’s answer to the blockbuster fixture taking place 13 miles up the road at the Etihad, where Pep Guardiola’s side later hammered champions .

And, much like City dismantled their Merseyside rivals, Wythenshawe tore up second-place South Vets in a 13-0 rout at Hollyhedge Park.

The gulf between the two sides on the pitch was only matched by the chasm in the car park.

Sandwiched between two luminous Lamborghinis and Ireland’s sleek Q6 sat a rusting DPD delivery van and a scratched-up 2007 Toyota Yaris.

The plucky visitors gave as good as they got.

After early goals from Ireland and Boyd, the South Liverpool manager shouted “Go down lad, hold your head, have a breather” at one of his panting players.

The banter kept coming when an opponent told winner Figueroa: “Why do you panic every time I come near you?”

After attempting a rabona cross, Cisse blazed a shot over the bar from 45 yards and smiled as he heard “when in doubt kick it out” from the away dugout.

Then in a nightmare 90 seconds, the 36-capped international had his penalty saved, hit the post on the rebound and kicked a short corner straight out.

“Have you ever played before?” a Scouse voice told him.

Former Hull and Burnley winger Boyd scored twice in Wythenshawe’s 13-0Credit: Andy Kelvin / Kelvinmedia Cisse arrived in his white Bentley just before kick offCredit: Andy Kelvin / Kelvinmedia Danny Drinkwater warming up with Blake Norton ahead of his over-35s debutCredit: Andy Kelvin / Kelvinmedia

Minutes later, the referee – seemingly auditioning for the Sky cameras – harshly sent off a visitor for lunging in on Ireland, who jumped out of the way.

Ireland agreed after it was “never a red, a fair challenge at this level anyway”.

Ex-Hull and winger Boyd made it 3-0 at the break.

But the floodgates truly opened with Cisse, who twice dinked the sub goalkeeper on his way to scoring seven. Ireland added a second to his tally, and two other Vets players also got on the scoreboard.

Cisse twice chipped South Liverpool’s sub keeper and rolled others past himCredit: Andy Kelvin / Kelvinmedia

Ammies manager Megran said: “It is surreal. I was watching some of these when I was growing up but it has made my job a lot easier I’ve got to admit.

“It’s fantastic for the club. I’m still annoyed at Papiss for missing that penalty. We gave him a bit of stick inside at half-time.”

Channelling Cisse’s former Toon boss Alan Pardew, Megran added: “I told him that if there’s another one, he won’t be taking it.

“But when Pap puts in second half performances like that you have to give a little bit of leeway.”

Players go off the rails because they don’t know what the next thing is

Stephen Ireland

Around 800 people flooded to watch the Vets, who play their games on the same £1.6million pitch as the semi-professional first team in the eighth tier of English football.

The semi-pros are in the relegation zone of the Northern Premier West – but the seniors are top of their Counties Division with four wins from four and a plus 32 goal difference.

Used to the luxuries of Chelsea’s £100m Cobham ground and training alongside , Drinkwater said: “It’s obviously a massive contrast.

“But, without sounding totally daft, there is still as much enjoyment in it.

“You arrive in your casuals, you’re having a laugh, do a 10-minute warm-up and then you finish the match and have a pint.

“It’s like estate football. As a kid that’s what you enjoy most about it, going out and having a knock about with the lads and calling it a night.”

Claire Barratt is pleased the new clubshopCredit: Andy Kelvin / Kelvinmedia

Wythenshawe chairman Carl Barratt has built a new pitchside clubshop to hawk freshly ordered merchandise amid their newfound fame.

From behind the kiosk Barratt’s wife Claire said: “We used to sell hats from behind the bar, so it’s great to have this outside. We’ve now got jumpers and other bits.”

An adult home shirt costs £45, long sleeve polos are £25, while back packs and ‘training tees’ will set punters back a score.

Scarves are around the same price as those flogged outside on matchdays.

It’s like estate football. There’s so much enjoyment in it.

Danny Drinkwater

Wythenshawe’s squad for this season also includes former striker , Everton’s and City title winners Joleon Lescott and Nedum Onuoha.

Lescott opted out of Sunday due to his punditry commitments for City vs Liverpool, but told SunSport: “Listen, we’re not there to showboat, the Vets are a great bunch of lads and we have to be respectful to them.”

Asked if he feels bad about bagging a hat-trick against seniors, he joked: “No, they’re the people who gave us stick as professionals! So I don’t feel that bad.”

Wayne Rooney has reportedly been approached to play, although nothing is confirmed that he willCredit: EPA

Collectively, the star-studded influx have won 15 major trophies, moved for combined transfer fees of about £123m and have over 1800 Prem games between them.

The dream team also contains 222 top-flight goals and 325 international caps. All nine players now pay £15 per month in subs via direct debits.

And it could get out of hand yet. Ireland revealed that one of England’s greatest ever players has been approached to play.

Drinkwater said: “Rooney, yeah? Imagine that, that would be unreal. Rooney in the No10 slot, wouldn’t be bad that. I’d be happy to watch from the sidelines.”

But United’s all-time leading goalscorer, who lives in the same golden triangle of ex-pros, might not be so welcome in these parts because of a 69-year grudge.

In 1956, Wythenshawe AFC drew 1-1 with a United team that included in the Whitaker Cup Final.

The match ended after extra time and the cup was shared, with both teams agreeing to hold it for six months.

But according to a club secretary United never upheld their end of the deal and kept hold of it for the full year. Perhaps that’s why I spotted a signed sketched picture of in the clubhouse.

Rooney could yet be involved in an All-Star Vets game being proposed by in Dublin in December, though it’s by no means confirmed.

and Shay Given were the names touted for McGregor’s imagined Irish opposition.

McGregor was spotted playing Sunday League earlier this year and is trying to rope boxing great , who is in the Irish capital next month, into his plans in some capacity, too.

Cisse signed autographs after the gameCredit: Andy Kelvin / Kelvinmedia South Liverpool Vets worked hard in the first halfCredit: Andy Kelvin / Kelvinmedia