🔗 Share this article

How do you improve a stellar experienced team that have won back-to-back championships, featuring a league-cup double boasting 30 victories from 32 matches?

Recruit a collection of ex- professionals who have performed at the elite level of club football and international soccer as you pursue more silverware.

One Greater Manchester team boasts an amateur veterans team with 9 ex- Premier League players in their current squad.

222 Premier League Goals, Three Hundred Twenty-Five Global Appearances

Wythenshawe Vets Over 35s are located in southern the city and compete in the Cheshire-based Vets League Top Tier.

Their squad list this season boasts 9 ex- Premier League players, with a combined over 1,800 top-flight games.

This star-studded team also contains 222 top division goals and over 320 international caps.

They include one forward, who netted thirty-seven goals in over 100 appearances for Newcastle United after joining them for £9m from Bundesliga side SC Freiburg in January 2012.

Cisse had his first appearance for Wythenshawe in their most recent home-field game against reigning champions their rivals and netted all six scores in a six-two win - featuring a 32-minute first-half hat-trick.

The roster for this campaign also features ex- professionals such as English and Liverpool forward Emile Heskey, Hull City and Burnley winger George Boyd, Toffees striker Oumar Niasse, Wigan Athletic full-back Maynor Figueroa, Manchester City duo Stephen Ireland and Nedum Onuoha and top-flight championship winners Joleon Lescott and Danny Drinkwater.

In total, the ex- Premier League footballers have secured fifteen big honors and moved for combined transfer sums of around £123m.

Household Figures and International Players

Stephen Ireland began playing for the side in pre-season this summer through close friend and current Wythenshawe teammate Blake Norton, and the former Republic of Ireland player then asked other ex-pros, who all compete in a midweek small-sided game, to participate.

Former Senegalese striker Niasse, who scored twelve goals in sixty-five Premier League matches for Everton and even now attends their home games, also had his debut versus Collegiate OB - who are located in the city and wear an Blue training kit as their uniform.

"A mate Stephen Ireland told me 'join and have a game, it's enjoyable'," said the striker.

"Then 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 the game and you feel you can still do it, wherever you can play, what are you going to do?

"Those fans who turn up and watch are happy and to give a day if they see us competing there and to pose us queries - it's really about the joy of us having a place we can enjoy football, with organisation of course."

Such is the strength in depth at the club, he had his first game at full-back.

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

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

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

Dreamlike' Feeling

In addition to the forward's 6 goals on debut, Ireland has netted eight in 3 appearances for the side, while George Boyd scored five on his debut appearance and Lescott, a centre-half by position, notched a hat-trick in one match up front.

Wythenshawe are leading of the Premier Division with three victories from three and a GD of +19.

One opponent, 38, who features on the flank for the opposition, faced former Latics defender Figueroa on Sunday - and had to explain his nine-year-old boy who Heskey was.

He has appeared at 2 World Cups for Honduras, in as well as playing in over 200 top-flight games.

"It was spreading like a rumor they had all these former top-flight stars," remarked Barrow.

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

"Also Heskey came on and he's got 60-odd England caps.

"Our side competed well for a solid twenty mins but then we had a man sent off and it was hard.

"We literally have not stopped talking about it - I was calling my mother and brother on the journey home.

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

"Now we are eager for the return match."

'We'll Still Take the League'

Andy Kirby coaches the opposition vets team, who secured the Premier Division title the previous campaign, together with his co-manager.

"We went 1-0 ahead and had a