🔗 Share this article

What can you boost a excellent veteran squad that have won back-to-back titles, featuring a double triumph with thirty victories from 32 games?

Sign a collection of ex- pro players who have played at the elite tier of club football and international soccer as you target more trophies.

A Manchester side has an amateur vets squad with nine former Premier League footballers in their current roster.

222 Premier League Scores, 325 International Appearances

The team Veterans Over-35s are situated in southern Manchester and play in the Cheshire-based Vets Division Premier Division.

Their roster this season includes nine ex- top-flight footballers, with a collective 1,801 Premier League games.

This high-profile roster also includes over 220 Premier League scores and 325 international caps.

The squad include Papiss Cisse, who netted thirty-seven goals in over 100 appearances for Newcastle United after moving to them for nine million pounds from Bundesliga side Freiburg in January 2012.

Cisse made his debut for the team in their last home-field match versus defending title holders Collegiate Old Boys and scored all six goals in a six-two victory - featuring a 32-minute opening period triple.

Wythenshawe's team for this campaign also includes former pros such as England and Liverpool forward Emile Heskey, Hull and Burnley FC winger George Boyd, Toffees forward Oumar Niasse, Wigan Athletic defender Maynor Figueroa, City pair Stephen Ireland and Nedum Onuoha and top-flight championship winners Joleon Lescott and Danny Drinkwater.

In total, the former top-flight players have claimed 15 significant trophies and transferred for combined transfer fees of around £123m.

Well-Known Names and Global Players

Ireland began turning out for the side during preseason this summer through good mate and present team teammate Blake Norton, and the former Irish midfielder then asked additional ex-pros, who all play in a midweek nine-a-side match, to participate.

Ex- Senegalese striker Oumar Niasse, who netted twelve goals in 65 Premier League games for Everton and even now goes to their matches at Goodison Park, also had his debut against the opposition - who are based in the city and wear an Blue warm-up gear as their uniform.

"My friend Stephen said 'come and have a game, it's good fun'," said the striker.

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

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

"Those spectators who turn up and watch are pleased and to give a day if they see us playing there and to ask us queries - it's really about the joy of us having somewhere we can play, with organisation of course."

Such is the bench strength at Wythenshawe, he made his first game at defender.

"It's a bit unusual but then, I enjoy sprinting and just go forward - I'm not defending that much," he added.

"I tell my centre-back 'I'm not staying' and that I'm just going to keep running.

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

Unreal Scenario

Along with the forward's 6 scores on debut, Stephen Ireland has scored eight in three appearances for Wythenshawe, while George Boyd scored 5 on his first appearance and Joleon Lescott, a defender by trade, notched a triple in one match as a striker.

Wythenshawe are top of the Premier Division with three victories from three and a goal difference of +19.

Paul Barrow, thirty-eight, who features on the wing for Collegiate OB, came up against ex- 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 2 global tournaments for Honduras, in addition to playing in over 200 top-flight games.

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

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

"Even Emile [Heskey] got on and he's got over 60 England caps.

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

"Our group literally have not stopped talking about it - I was calling my mother and sibling on the way home.

"The opponents were all really nice, shaking our hands after the game - it was like facing a group of regular guys.

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

We Will Still Win the League'

Andy Kirby manages the Collegiate vets team, who won the Top Division championship last season, together with his co-manager.

"Our team scored 1-0 ahead and had a