Crazy Sunday League team: Four ex-Premier League players featured in 2018 side

Sunday League football doesn’t necessarily have the best reputation when it comes to quality.

The term typically conjures up visions of players having a weekend kickabout with their mates in conditions that are less ideal.

While some players may have shown promise in their younger days or had their dreams of a professional career dashed by injury, the idea that you might come up against a former top-flight player on a Sunday morning down at your local park probably seems a little far-fetched.

That is, however, unless you happened to be playing in the Central Warwickshire over 35s League in 2018, when no less than four ex-Premier League players turned out for Monica Star FC. As if that wasn’t daunting enough, each of the quartet also had international caps to their name.

It would be pretty daunting to come up against this lot when half-hungover after a heavy Saturday night.

Per a 2018 article from The Mirror, Monica Star boasted former internationals for England, Jamaica, the Republic of Ireland and Scotland.

We’ve taken a look at the accomplished former professionals below.

Current England U21 head coach Carsley was the first to sign on for the team in 2011, having been persuaded to join by his brother, who was friends with many of the Monica Star squad.

Carsley, who racked up more than 100 Premier League appearances and 40 Irish caps in his playing days, apparently didn’t have great expectations for the standard of the opposition he would be up against at first.

“Lee thought it would be all beer-bellies. He said he’d help out for the odd match,” club secretary Paul Volante told The Mirror.

“But when he saw the standard, he was there every week. Everyone has played to a decent level.”

Former Aston Villa midfielder