🔗 Share this article

What can you enhance a outstanding veteran squad who have won back-to-back championships, including a league-cup double with 30 victories from 32 matches?

Recruit a collection of former pro players that have competed at the elite tier of club football and global soccer as you target additional honors.

One Greater Manchester club has an non-professional veterans team with nine ex- Premier League players in their active squad.

222 Top Division Scores, 325 International Caps

The team Vets Over 35s are located in southern Manchester and play in the Cheshire Vets Division Premier Division.

Their lineup this season boasts nine former Premier League footballers, with a collective 1,801 Premier League appearances.

This star-studded team also boasts over 220 Premier League goals and over 320 international appearances.

They include one forward, who netted thirty-seven scores in 117 games for his former club after moving to them for nine million pounds from German league side SC Freiburg in January 2012.

He made his debut for the team in their last home game versus defending champions their rivals and netted all six scores in a six-two victory - featuring a half-hour first-half triple.

The squad for this campaign also features ex- pros such as England and Anfield striker Emile Heskey, Hull and Burnley midfielder George Boyd, Toffees forward Oumar Niasse, Wigan Athletic full-back Maynor Figueroa, Manchester City duo Stephen Ireland and Nedum Onuoha and Premier League championship winners Joleon Lescott and Danny Drinkwater.

Collectively, the ex- Premier League players have secured fifteen big honors and transferred for combined transfer sums of about £123 million.

Well-Known Figures and Global Stars

Stephen Ireland began playing for the team in pre-season this season through good mate and current Wythenshawe teammate Blake Norton, and the ex- Republic of Ireland midfielder then invited other former professionals, who all play in a midweek small-sided game, to join in.

Ex- Senegalese striker Oumar Niasse, who netted 12 scores in 65 Premier League matches for the Toffees and even now attends their matches at Goodison Park, also made his debut against the opposition - who are located in Liverpool and wear an Everton training kit as their uniform.

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

"After that he informed me we were facing a side from Liverpool and the shock I had when I noticed them wearing Blue kits - I say this is strange for me!

"When you still love football and you know you can still do it, wherever you can play, what are you going to choose?

"The people who turn up and watch are pleased and to give someone's moment if they watch us competing there and to pose us queries - it's more like the joy of us having somewhere we can play, with organisation of course."

So great is the strength in depth at Wythenshawe, Niasse had his debut at full-back.

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

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

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

'Surreal Feeling

Along with Cisse's 6 scores on his first game, Stephen Ireland has scored 8 in three games for the side, while George Boyd scored 5 on his debut appearance and Joleon Lescott, a centre-half by position, scored a triple in one match up front.

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

One opponent, thirty-eight, who plays on the wing for Collegiate OB, faced former Latics full-back Figueroa on the weekend - and had to tell his nine-year-old son who Heskey was.

He has appeared at two global tournaments for his country, in as well as featuring in more than 200 top-flight matches.

"The news was going round like a rumor they had these former top-flight stars," said Barrow.

"I think I was a little starstruck facing Figueroa to be honest.

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

"We competed well for a solid 20 mins but then we had a player sent off and it was hard.

"We literally have not stopped talking about it - I was phoning my mum and sibling on the way home.

"They were all friendly, shaking our hands after the game - it was like facing a bunch of regular fellas.

"Now we are eager for the second fixture."

'We'll Still Take the Title'

Andy Kirby manages the Collegiate vets side, who secured the Premier Tier title the previous campaign, along with his co-manager.

"We scored 1-0 ahead and had a