🔗 Share this article

How do you improve a stellar experienced side that have won back-to-back championships, featuring a league-cup double boasting thirty victories from 32 matches?

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

One Manchester side boasts an non-professional veterans team with nine former Premier League players in their current roster.

222 Top Division Scores, 325 Global Caps

The team Vets Over 35s are based in southern the city and compete in the Cheshire-based Vets League Top Tier.

Their squad list this season boasts 9 former top-flight players, with a combined over 1,800 top-flight matches.

The star-studded squad also contains 222 top division goals and over 320 global appearances.

The squad include one forward, who netted thirty-seven goals in 117 games for Newcastle United after moving to them for £9m from Bundesliga side Freiburg in 2012.

Cisse made his first appearance for Wythenshawe in their most recent home-field match versus reigning title holders Collegiate Old Boys and scored every one of the six goals in a 6-2 victory - featuring a half-hour first-half hat-trick.

The squad for this season also includes former professionals such as England and Anfield forward Emile Heskey, Hull City and Burnley FC winger George Boyd, Toffees striker Oumar Niasse, Wigan defender Maynor Figueroa, Manchester City duo Stephen Ireland and Nedum Onuoha and Premier League championship winners Joleon Lescott and Danny Drinkwater.

Collectively, the ex- top-flight players have secured 15 major trophies and transferred for total transfer sums of about £123m.

Well-Known Names and International Players

Ireland started playing for the side during pre-season this summer through good friend and present team teammate Blake Norton, and the former Irish midfielder then invited additional former professionals, who all play in a midweek small-sided game, to participate.

Former Senegalese forward Oumar Niasse, who netted twelve scores in sixty-five Premier League games for Everton and even now attends their matches at Goodison Park, also had his debut against Collegiate OB - who are located in Liverpool and wear an Everton training kit as their strip.

"My friend Stephen told me 'come and have a game, it's enjoyable'," commented the striker.

"After that he informed me we were playing a side from the city and the shock I had when I saw them wearing Blue shirts - I thought this is wrong for me!

"If you still love the game and you feel you can still play, anywhere you can kick a ball, what are you going to choose?

"Those fans who turn up and watch are happy and to make a moment if they watch us competing there and to ask us queries - it's really about the pleasure of us having a place we can enjoy football, with structure of course."

So great is the bench strength at the club, Niasse had his first game at full-back.

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

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

"That movement is what I'm seeking. It's good fun."

'Surreal Experience

Along with the forward's 6 goals on debut, Stephen Ireland has netted 8 in three appearances for the side, while George Boyd scored five on his debut match and Joleon Lescott, a defender by position, scored a hat-trick in one game up front.

Wythenshawe are leading of the Premier Tier with 3 victories from three and a GD of plus nineteen.

Paul Barrow, 38, who plays on the wing for Collegiate OB, came up against ex- Latics defender Figueroa on Sunday - and had to tell his nine-year-old son who Emile Heskey was.

Figueroa has played at 2 World Cups for his country, in addition to playing in over 200 top-flight games.

"The news was going round like wildfire they had these ex-Premier League players," remarked the player.

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

"Also Heskey got on and he's has over 60 England caps.

"We held our own for a good 20 mins but then we had a player sent off and it was tough.

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

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

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

'We'll Still Win the Title'

The manager coaches the opposition vets team, who won the Premier Division championship last season, along with Paul Maguire.

"Our team went 1-0 ahead and had a