🔗 Share this article

What can you enhance a stellar experienced side that have won consecutive championships, including a league-cup double boasting 30 wins from 32 games?

Bring in a raft of former pro players that have competed at the highest tier of club and global soccer as you aim for additional silverware.

A Manchester club fields an non-professional veterans squad with nine former top-flight players in their current roster.

222 Premier League Scores, 325 Global Caps

Wythenshawe Veterans Over 35s are situated in south Manchester and compete in the Cheshire-based Veterans Division Top Division.

The lineup this season boasts nine former top-flight footballers, with a collective 1,801 elite matches.

This high-profile team also includes 222 Premier League goals and over 320 global caps.

They feature one forward, who scored thirty-seven goals in 117 appearances for his former club after signing for them for £9m from Bundesliga club Freiburg in January 2012.

Cisse made his first appearance for the team in their last home-field game against defending champions their rivals and netted all six goals in a six-two victory - featuring a 32-minute opening period triple.

Wythenshawe's roster for this season also includes former pros such as England and Anfield forward Emile Heskey, Hull City and Burnley FC winger George Boyd, Toffees striker Oumar Niasse, Wigan Athletic defender Maynor Figueroa, Manchester City duo Stephen Ireland and Nedum Onuoha and top-flight title winners Joleon Lescott and Danny Drinkwater.

In total, the former Premier League players have claimed fifteen big honors and transferred for total transfer fees of approximately £123m.

Famous Names and International Stars

Stephen Ireland began playing for the side in pre-season this summer through good friend and present Wythenshawe player Blake Norton, and the former Republic of Ireland midfielder then asked other former professionals, who all compete in a midweek nine-a-side game, to join in.

Ex- Senegal striker Oumar Niasse, who scored 12 scores in 65 Premier League games for Everton and even now goes to their home games, also made his debut against Collegiate OB - who are based in Liverpool and wear an Blue warm-up gear as their uniform.

"A mate Stephen told me 'join and play, it's enjoyable'," commented Niasse.

"Then he told me we were playing a team from the city and the surprise I had when I saw them wearing Everton shirts - I say this is strange for me!

"If you still enjoy the game and you know you can still play, wherever you can kick a ball, what are you going to do?

"The people who come and watch are pleased and to give someone's day if they watch us competing there and to pose us queries - it's more like the joy of us getting somewhere we can enjoy football, with structure of course."

Such is the strength in depth at Wythenshawe, he had his debut at full-back.

"It's a little unusual but then, I enjoy sprinting and just go forward - 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 keep running.

"That movement is what I'm seeking. It's enjoyable."

'Surreal Experience

Along with Cisse's 6 goals on debut, Stephen Ireland has scored eight in 3 appearances for the side, while Boyd scored five on his debut appearance and Lescott, a defender by position, notched a hat-trick in one game up front.

The team are top of the Top Division with 3 wins from three and a GD of plus nineteen.

Paul Barrow, thirty-eight, who features on the flank for the opposition, came up against ex- Latics full-back Maynor Figueroa on Sunday - and had to tell his nine-year-old boy who Emile Heskey was.

He has appeared at 2 World Cups for his country, in addition to playing in more than 200 top-flight games.

"It was going round like wildfire they had these former top-flight stars," said the player.

"I felt I was a little awestruck facing him to be honest.

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

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

"We literally have not ceased chatting about it - I was calling my mum and brother on the way home.

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

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

'We'll Still Win the League'

Andy Kirby manages the opposition veterans side, who won the Top Tier championship the previous campaign, together with his co-manager.

"Our team went 1-0 up and had a