🔗 Share this article

How do you boost a outstanding experienced team that have won back-to-back titles, featuring a league-cup double boasting 30 victories from thirty-two games?

Recruit a group of former professionals that have competed at the elite level of club and global football as you target more honors.

One Greater Manchester side boasts an non-professional veterans team with 9 ex- top-flight players in their current squad.

222 Premier League Goals, 325 Global Caps

Wythenshawe Veterans Over 35s are based in south the city and play in the Cheshire-based Veterans League Top Division.

Their lineup this season boasts nine ex- Premier League footballers, with a total nearly 1,800 elite appearances.

This star-studded team also boasts 222 top division goals and 325 international appearances.

The squad feature Papiss Cisse, who notched thirty-seven scores in 117 appearances for Newcastle United after signing for them for £9m from German league club SC Freiburg in January 2012.

He had his first appearance for Wythenshawe in their last home game against defending champions Collegiate Old Boys and netted every one of the six goals in a six-two victory - including a half-hour first-half hat-trick.

Wythenshawe's squad for this season also features ex- pros such as England and Liverpool 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 top-flight championship victors Joleon Lescott and Danny Drinkwater.

Together, the former Premier League footballers have claimed fifteen significant honors and moved for combined transfer fees of about £123m.

Well-Known Figures and International Stars

Stephen Ireland started playing for the side in pre-season this season through close mate and current team player Blake Norton, and the former Irish midfielder then asked additional ex-pros, who all play in a weekly small-sided match, to join in.

Ex- Senegalese forward Niasse, who scored 12 scores in sixty-five top-flight games for Everton and even now attends their home games, also had his debut versus Collegiate OB - who are based in the city and use an Blue training kit as their uniform.

"My friend Stephen Ireland said 'come and play, it's a laugh'," said Niasse.

"Then he told me we were playing a side from Liverpool and the surprise I had when I noticed them sporting Blue shirts - I thought this is wrong for me!

"When you still love the game and you feel you can still play, anywhere you can play, what are you going to choose?

"The people who come and watch are happy and to make a day if they watch us competing there and to pose us questions - it's really about the joy of us having somewhere we can play, with organisation of course."

Such is the bench strength at the club, he had his debut at defender.

"That's a little unusual but then, I enjoy sprinting and just move inside - I'm not defending that much," he added.

"I tell my defender '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 six goals on his first game, Ireland has netted eight in three games for Wythenshawe, while George Boyd hit five on his first appearance and Joleon Lescott, a centre-half by trade, notched a triple in one match up front.

The team are leading of the Premier Division with three wins from three and a GD of +19.

One opponent, 38, who plays on the wing for the opposition, came up against ex- Latics defender Figueroa on the weekend - and had to explain his young son who Heskey was.

He has appeared at 2 global tournaments for his country, in as well as playing in over 200 top-flight games.

"The news was going round like wildfire they had all these former top-flight stars," remarked the player.

"I felt I was a little starstruck playing against Figueroa to be honest.

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

"We held our own for a good twenty minutes but then we had a man sent off and it was hard.

"We really haven't stopped chatting about it - I was phoning my mum and sibling on the way home.

"The opponents were all friendly, shaking our hands after the match - it was like playing a group of regular guys.

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

'We'll Still Win the Title'

Andy Kirby manages the opposition veterans team, who won the Premier Tier championship the previous campaign, along with Paul Maguire.

"We scored one-nil up and had a