Introduce the Weekend League Team With Nearly Two Thousand Top-Flight Matches
What do you improve a outstanding veteran squad that have won consecutive championships, including a double triumph with thirty wins from 32 games?
Sign a raft of ex- professionals who have competed at the elite tier of club and global soccer as you aim for further honors.
One Manchester club has an non-professional veterans squad with 9 former top-flight players in their current squad.
222 Premier League Goals, Three Hundred Twenty-Five International Caps
The team Veterans Over 35s are situated in south the city and compete in the Cheshire-based Vets Division Premier Division.
Their squad list this campaign boasts 9 former Premier League footballers, with a combined 1,801 elite appearances.
The high-profile roster also boasts 222 top division scores and over 320 global caps.
They feature Papiss Cisse, who netted 37 scores in 117 appearances for his former club after signing for them for nine million pounds from Bundesliga side Freiburg in 2012.
He had his debut for Wythenshawe in their last home game versus defending champions their rivals and netted every one of the six goals in a six-two win - featuring a 32-minute first-half triple.
Wythenshawe's team for this campaign also features ex- pros such as English and Anfield striker Emile Heskey, Hull City and Burnley FC midfielder George Boyd, Everton striker Oumar Niasse, Wigan defender Maynor Figueroa, City pair Stephen Ireland and Nedum Onuoha and top-flight title winners Joleon Lescott and Danny Drinkwater.
In total, the ex- Premier League footballers have won 15 big honors and moved for combined transfer fees of about £123 million.
Household Names and International Players
Ireland began turning out for the team in pre-season this summer through close friend and present Wythenshawe teammate Blake Norton, and the ex- Republic of Ireland midfielder then invited other ex-pros, who all play in a weekly nine-a-side game, to participate.
Former Senegal striker Niasse, who netted 12 goals in sixty-five top-flight games for the Toffees and even now goes to their matches at Goodison Park, also made his debut versus the opposition - who are located in Liverpool and wear an Blue warm-up gear as their uniform.
"A mate Stephen told me 'join and play, it's a laugh'," commented Niasse.
"Then he informed me we were facing a team from Liverpool and the shock I had when I noticed them sporting Everton shirts - I say this is strange for me!
"When you still enjoy the game and you know you can still play, anywhere you can kick a ball, what are you going to do?
"Those people who turn up and see are happy and to give a day if they see us competing there and to ask us questions - it's more like the pleasure of us having a place we can enjoy football, with organisation of course."
Such is the strength in depth at Wythenshawe, Niasse made his debut at defender.
"That's a bit different but then, I love running and just go inside - I'm not staying back that much," he said.
"I tell my centre-back 'I'm not hanging back' and that I'm just going to keep running.
"That movement is what I'm seeking. It's good fun."
Dreamlike' Scenario
In addition to the forward's 6 goals on his first game, Stephen Ireland has netted 8 in three games for Wythenshawe, while Boyd hit 5 on his debut match and Joleon Lescott, a defender by position, scored a triple in one match as a striker.
The team are leading of the Premier Tier with three victories from 3 and a goal difference of +19.
Paul Barrow, 38, who plays on the wing for Collegiate OB, faced ex- Wigan full-back Maynor Figueroa on the weekend - and had to explain his nine-year-old son who Emile Heskey was.
He has played at 2 global tournaments for his country, in as well as featuring in over 200 top-flight games.
"It was spreading like a rumor they had all these ex-Premier League stars," said the player.
"I think I was a little awestruck facing Figueroa to be honest.
"Also Heskey came on and he's has over 60 English appearances.
"Our side held our own for a good 20 mins but then we had a player sent off and it was hard.
"Our group really haven't stopped chatting about it - I was phoning my mum and sibling on the journey home.
"They were all friendly, shaking our hands after the match - it was like facing a bunch of regular fellas.
"Now we can't wait for the return fixture."
'We'll Still Take the Title'
Andy Kirby manages the opposition vets team, who won the Top Division championship the previous campaign, along with his co-manager.
"Our team scored 1-0 ahead and had a