🔗 Share this article

How do you enhance a outstanding experienced team that have claimed back-to-back championships, including a double triumph boasting 30 wins from thirty-two games?

Recruit a group of ex- professionals who have competed at the elite tier of club football and global football as you pursue additional silverware.

One Manchester club boasts an amateur veterans squad with 9 ex- Premier League players in their active squad.

Two Hundred Twenty-Two Premier League Scores, 325 International Caps

The team Vets Over-35s are situated in south Manchester and compete in the Cheshire Vets Division Top Tier.

Their squad list this campaign features nine ex- top-flight players, with a total 1,801 elite games.

The star-studded team also includes 222 Premier League scores and 325 international caps.

They feature one forward, who notched 37 scores in over 100 appearances for his former club after joining them for nine million pounds from Bundesliga club SC Freiburg in 2012.

Cisse made his first appearance for the team in their most recent home match against defending champions their rivals and netted all six scores in a 6-2 victory - featuring a 32-minute opening period triple.

Wythenshawe's roster for this season also features former pros such as England and Anfield forward Emile Heskey, Hull City and Burnley FC winger George Boyd, Everton striker Oumar Niasse, Wigan Athletic full-back Maynor Figueroa, City pair Stephen Ireland and Nedum Onuoha and top-flight title victors Joleon Lescott and Danny Drinkwater.

Together, the former Premier League footballers have secured 15 big trophies and moved for combined transfer sums of around £123 million.

Well-Known Names and Global Players

Ireland started turning out for the side during pre-season this summer through close mate and current Wythenshawe player Blake Norton, and the former Irish midfielder then invited additional ex-pros, who all play in a midweek nine-a-side game, to participate.

Ex- Senegalese forward Niasse, who netted 12 scores in 65 Premier League matches for the Toffees and still attends their matches at Goodison Park, also had his debut versus the opposition - who are located in the city and wear an Everton training kit as their uniform.

"My mate Stephen Ireland said 'come and play, it's enjoyable'," said the striker.

"After that he informed me we were facing a side from Liverpool and the shock I had when I noticed them sporting Everton shirts - I say this is wrong for me!

"If you still enjoy the game and you know you can still play, wherever you can play, what are you going to choose?

"The people who come and watch are pleased and to make someone's day if they watch us playing there and to ask us queries - it's more like the pleasure of us getting somewhere we can play, with structure of course."

Such is the strength in depth at the club, he had his first game at defender.

"That's a little different but then, I enjoy running and just move forward - I'm not defending that much," he said.

"I warn my centre-back 'I'm not hanging back' and that I'm just going to continue attacking.

"The running is what I'm after. It's good fun."

Dreamlike' Scenario

In addition to the forward's six scores on his first game, Ireland has netted eight in three appearances for the side, while Boyd scored five on his debut appearance and Joleon Lescott, a centre-half by trade, notched a triple in one match as a striker.

Wythenshawe are top of the Premier Tier with three wins from three and a GD of +19.

Paul Barrow, thirty-eight, who plays on the flank for the opposition, came up against former Latics full-back Maynor Figueroa on the weekend - and had to tell his nine-year-old boy who Emile Heskey was.

He has appeared at two World Cups for Honduras, in addition to playing in over 200 Premier League matches.

"The news was spreading like wildfire they had these former top-flight stars," remarked Barrow.

"I felt I was a bit starstruck facing Figueroa to be honest.

"Also Heskey came on and he's got 60-odd English caps.

"Our side held our own for a solid 20 minutes but then we had a man sent off and it was tough.

"We literally haven't stopped chatting about it - I was calling my mum and sibling on the journey home.

"The opponents were all dead sound, shaking our hands after the game - it was like playing a bunch of normal fellas.

"Now we can't wait for the return fixture."

We Will Still Take the Title'

The manager coaches the Collegiate vets team, who won the Premier Tier title the previous campaign, together with his co-manager.

"Our team went one-nil ahead and had a