🔗 Share this article

How do you boost a stellar experienced squad who have secured back-to-back titles, including a league-cup double boasting thirty victories from 32 games?

Recruit a collection of former pro players that have competed at the highest tier of club and international soccer as you aim for more honors.

A Greater Manchester side boasts an non-professional veterans team with nine former top-flight footballers in their present roster.

222 Premier League Scores, 325 Global Appearances

Wythenshawe Veterans Over-35s are situated in southern Manchester and compete in the Cheshire-based Veterans Division Premier Tier.

The roster this season boasts 9 ex- top-flight footballers, with a total 1,801 Premier League matches.

The elite team also boasts over 220 Premier League goals and 325 international caps.

They feature one forward, who scored 37 goals in over 100 games for Newcastle United after joining them for nine million pounds from German league club SC Freiburg in January 2012.

Cisse had his debut for Wythenshawe in their last home-field match against reigning title holders their rivals and netted every one of the six scores in a six-two victory - including a 32-minute first-half triple.

The roster for this season also includes ex- pros such as England and Liverpool forward Emile Heskey, Hull City and Burnley winger George Boyd, Everton striker Oumar Niasse, Wigan Athletic defender Maynor Figueroa, Manchester City pair Stephen Ireland and Nedum Onuoha and Premier League championship victors Joleon Lescott and Danny Drinkwater.

In total, the former Premier League footballers have claimed 15 major trophies and moved for combined transfer sums of approximately £123m.

Well-Known Figures and International Stars

Ireland began playing for the team in pre-season this summer through good friend and current Wythenshawe player Blake Norton, and the former Republic of Ireland player then asked other former professionals, who all play in a weekly nine-a-side match, to join in.

Ex- Senegalese striker Niasse, who scored twelve scores in 65 Premier League matches for the Toffees and still attends their home games, also made his debut versus the opposition - who are located in Liverpool and wear an Blue warm-up gear as their uniform.

"A friend Stephen Ireland said 'join and have a game, it's enjoyable'," commented the striker.

"After that he told me we were facing a team from Liverpool and the shock I had when I noticed them sporting Blue shirts - I thought this is strange for me!

"If you still enjoy football and you know you can still play, anywhere you can kick a ball, what are you going to do?

"The fans who come and watch are pleased and to give someone's 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 strength in depth at the club, Niasse had his debut at full-back.

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

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

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

Dreamlike' Scenario

Along with Cisse's six goals on his first game, Ireland has scored eight in three appearances for the side, while George Boyd hit 5 on his debut match and Joleon Lescott, a defender by position, scored a hat-trick in one match up front.

Wythenshawe are top of the Premier Division with 3 victories from three and a goal difference of +19.

One opponent, 38, who plays on the flank for Collegiate OB, faced former Wigan defender Maynor Figueroa on Sunday - and had to explain his nine-year-old son who Heskey was.

Figueroa has played at two World Cups for Honduras, in as well as featuring in over 200 Premier League games.

"It was spreading like a rumor they had all these former top-flight players," remarked the player.

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

"Even Emile [Heskey] came on and he's has 60-odd England caps.

"We competed well for a solid 20 mins but then we had a player dismissed and it was tough.

"Our group literally haven't stopped talking about it - I was phoning my mum and brother on the way home.

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

"Now we are eager for the second fixture."

'We'll Still Take the League'

Andy Kirby manages the opposition veterans side, who secured the Top Tier title last season, together with his co-manager.

"We scored one-nil up and had a