🔗 Share this article

How can you improve a outstanding veteran team who have secured consecutive championships, featuring a league-cup double boasting 30 victories from 32 games?

Bring in a raft of former pro players who have competed at the top tier of club and international football as you pursue additional honors.

One Manchester side fields an non-professional veterans squad with nine ex- Premier League players in their present squad.

222 Premier League Scores, 325 Global Appearances

The team Vets Over 35s are based in south Manchester and play in the Cheshire-based Veterans Division Top Division.

The lineup this campaign includes 9 former Premier League footballers, with a combined nearly 1,800 Premier League matches.

This elite squad also boasts 222 top division goals and over 320 international caps.

They include one forward, who notched thirty-seven goals in 117 games for his former club after signing for them for nine million pounds from German league side SC Freiburg in 2012.

Cisse had his first appearance for the team in their last home match versus reigning title holders their rivals and scored every one of the six goals in a 6-2 victory - including a half-hour first-half hat-trick.

Wythenshawe's team for this season also features ex- professionals such as England and Anfield striker Emile Heskey, Hull and Burnley winger George Boyd, Everton striker Oumar Niasse, Wigan Athletic full-back Maynor Figueroa, City duo Stephen Ireland and Nedum Onuoha and Premier League title winners Joleon Lescott and Danny Drinkwater.

In total, the ex- Premier League players have secured fifteen major honors and moved for combined transfer sums of about £123 million.

Well-Known Figures and International Players

Stephen Ireland began turning out for the team in preseason this season through good mate and current team teammate Blake Norton, and the ex- Republic of Ireland player then invited other former professionals, who all play in a midweek nine-a-side game, to participate.

Former Senegalese striker Niasse, who netted 12 scores in sixty-five Premier League games for the Toffees and still goes to their matches at Goodison Park, also had his debut versus the opposition - who are located in the city and use an Blue training kit as their strip.

"My mate Stephen told me 'come and play, it's enjoyable'," said Niasse.

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

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

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

Such is the bench strength at the club, Niasse had his first game at defender.

"It's a bit different but then, I love running and just go forward - I'm not staying back that much," he said.

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

"The running is what I'm seeking. It's enjoyable."

Unreal Scenario

In addition to Cisse's six scores on his first game, Stephen Ireland has netted eight in 3 games for the side, while George Boyd scored five on his first match and Lescott, a centre-half by position, scored a hat-trick in one game up front.

The team are top of the Top Tier with three wins from three and a goal difference of plus nineteen.

Paul Barrow, 38, who features on the flank for the opposition, came up against former Latics full-back Figueroa on the weekend - and had to explain his young boy who Emile Heskey was.

He has appeared at two global tournaments for Honduras, in addition to playing in over 200 top-flight games.

"It was going round like wildfire they had these former top-flight players," said Barrow.

"I think I was a little awestruck facing him to be honest.

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

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

"Our group really haven't ceased talking about it - I was calling my mother and sibling on the journey home.

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

"Now we are eager for the return match."

'We'll Still Take the League'

The manager manages the Collegiate vets team, who won the Premier Division title the previous campaign, together with Paul Maguire.

"Our team went 1-0 up and had a