🔗 Share this article

How do you enhance a outstanding veteran squad that have won back-to-back titles, including a league-cup double boasting thirty victories from thirty-two games?

Sign a group of former professionals that have performed at the top tier of club football and international soccer as you aim for further honors.

A Greater Manchester club boasts an non-professional veterans squad with nine ex- Premier League players in their current squad.

Two Hundred Twenty-Two Top Division Goals, 325 International Caps

The team Vets Over 35s are based in south the city and compete in the Cheshire Veterans Division Top Tier.

Their squad list this season features 9 former top-flight footballers, with a collective nearly 1,800 Premier League games.

This star-studded roster also contains over 220 Premier League scores and 325 international appearances.

The squad feature one forward, who notched 37 scores in over 100 appearances for Newcastle United after signing for them for £9m from Bundesliga club Freiburg in January 2012.

Cisse had his debut for Wythenshawe in their most recent home-field match against defending champions their rivals and scored all six goals in a six-two victory - featuring a 32-minute opening period hat-trick.

Wythenshawe's roster for this campaign also features ex- pros such as English and Liverpool forward Emile Heskey, Hull and Burnley FC midfielder George Boyd, Toffees forward Oumar Niasse, Wigan Athletic defender Maynor Figueroa, Manchester City pair Stephen Ireland and Nedum Onuoha and top-flight title victors Joleon Lescott and Danny Drinkwater.

In total, the ex- top-flight players have claimed 15 big honors and transferred for total transfer sums of about £123m.

Famous Figures and International Players

Stephen Ireland started turning out for the team in pre-season this summer through good mate and present team player Blake Norton, and the former Republic of Ireland player then asked other former professionals, who all play in a weekly nine-a-side game, to join in.

Former Senegalese forward Niasse, who scored 12 scores in 65 top-flight matches for Everton and still goes to their home games, also made his first appearance against the opposition - who are located in Liverpool and wear an Blue warm-up gear as their strip.

"A friend Stephen Ireland said 'join and play, it's enjoyable'," said the striker.

"Then he told me we were playing a team from the city and the shock I had when I saw them sporting Blue shirts - I say this is strange for me!

"If you still enjoy football and you feel you can still play, wherever you can play, what are you going to choose?

"The spectators who turn up and watch are pleased and to give someone's day if they see us playing there and to ask us queries - it's really about the pleasure of us having a place we can enjoy football, with organisation of course."

Such is the strength in depth at the club, he had his first game at full-back.

"That's a bit unusual but then, I enjoy running and just move forward - I'm not staying back that much," he added.

"I warn my defender 'I'm not staying' and that I'm just going to keep running.

"The movement is what I'm looking for. It's good fun."

'Surreal Feeling

In addition to Cisse's six scores on debut, Stephen Ireland has scored eight in three appearances for the side, while Boyd scored five on his first match and Joleon Lescott, a defender by trade, scored a hat-trick in one match as a striker.

The team are top of the Premier Tier with three victories from 3 and a GD of +19.

Paul Barrow, 38, who plays on the flank for Collegiate OB, came up against ex- Wigan full-back Figueroa on Sunday - and had to explain his nine-year-old son who Heskey was.

Figueroa has appeared at two global tournaments for his country, in addition to playing in more than 200 Premier League matches.

"It was spreading like wildfire they had these ex-Premier League players," remarked Barrow.

"I think I was a bit awestruck playing against Figueroa to be honest.

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

"We competed well for a good 20 mins but then we had a player sent off and it was hard.

"We really have not ceased talking about it - I was calling my mum and sibling on the journey home.

"They were all really nice, shaking our hands after the match - it was like playing a group of normal fellas.

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

'We'll Still Take the League'

The manager manages the Collegiate vets side, who secured the Premier Tier title last season, along with his co-manager.

"Our team went one-nil ahead and had a