Discover the Weekend League Squad Boasting 1,800 Premier League Matches
What do you boost a stellar experienced side who have claimed consecutive titles, including a double triumph with thirty victories from 32 games?
Recruit a raft of ex- professionals that have played at the top level of club football and international soccer as you target additional honors.
A Manchester side boasts an non-professional vets squad with 9 ex- top-flight footballers in their present squad.
222 Top Division Scores, 325 International Caps
Wythenshawe Veterans Over 35s are situated in south the city and compete in the Cheshire-based Vets League Premier Tier.
Their squad list this campaign includes 9 former Premier League footballers, with a collective nearly 1,800 elite matches.
The star-studded team also includes 222 top division goals and 325 international caps.
The squad include one forward, who notched thirty-seven goals in over 100 appearances for Newcastle United after moving to them for £9m from Bundesliga side Freiburg in 2012.
He made his debut for the team in their most recent home-field game versus reigning title holders their rivals and netted all six scores in a 6-2 victory - including a 32-minute opening period hat-trick.
The team for this season also features former professionals such as English and Liverpool striker Emile Heskey, Hull and Burnley winger George Boyd, Toffees striker Oumar Niasse, Wigan defender Maynor Figueroa, City duo Stephen Ireland and Nedum Onuoha and Premier League championship winners Joleon Lescott and Danny Drinkwater.
In total, the ex- top-flight players have claimed fifteen major honors and moved for total transfer sums of about £123m.
Well-Known Figures and Global Players
Ireland started playing for the team in pre-season this season through close friend and current Wythenshawe teammate Blake Norton, and the former Republic of Ireland midfielder then invited additional ex-pros, who all compete in a midweek small-sided match, to participate.
Former Senegalese striker Niasse, who netted twelve goals in 65 top-flight matches for the Toffees and even now goes to their home games, also made his debut against Collegiate OB - who are located in the city and use an Everton training kit as their uniform.
"A friend Stephen told me 'come and play, it's good fun'," commented Niasse.
"After that he told me we were playing a side from Liverpool and the surprise I had when I saw them sporting Everton 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 choose?
"Those fans who turn up and see are pleased and to give a moment if they watch us playing there and to pose us queries - it's really about the pleasure of us having a place we can play, with organisation of course."
So great is the strength in depth at the club, Niasse had his debut at full-back.
"That's a bit unusual but then, I love running and just move 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 continue running.
"That running is what I'm seeking. It's enjoyable."
Unreal Feeling
In addition to the forward's six goals on his first game, Ireland has netted 8 in three appearances for the side, while Boyd scored five on his first appearance and Joleon Lescott, a centre-half by trade, scored a triple in one match as a striker.
Wythenshawe are top of the Premier Tier with 3 wins from 3 and a goal difference of +19.
One opponent, 38, who features on the flank for Collegiate OB, faced former Wigan defender Figueroa on Sunday - and had to explain his young son who Heskey was.
Figueroa has appeared at two World Cups for his country, in addition to playing in over two hundred Premier League games.
"The news was spreading like a rumor they had these former top-flight stars," remarked the player.
"I think I was a bit awestruck playing against him to be honest.
"Also Emile [Heskey] got on and he's got 60-odd England caps.
"Our side competed well for a good 20 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 mum and brother on the way home.
"The opponents were all dead sound, shaking our hands after the game - it was like playing a group of regular fellas.
"Now we can't wait for the second match."
'We'll Still Win the Title'
The manager manages the Collegiate vets team, who won the Premier Tier championship last season, together with his co-manager.
"We went 1-0 ahead and had a