🔗 Share this article

How can you enhance a excellent veteran side who have claimed consecutive titles, including a league-cup double with 30 victories from thirty-two games?

Bring in a group of ex- pro players that have played at the highest level of club and international football as you aim for more silverware.

A Greater Manchester club fields an non-professional veterans squad with nine former Premier League footballers in their current roster.

222 Premier League Scores, 325 International Caps

Wythenshawe Vets Over 35s are located in southern the city and compete in the Cheshire Veterans Division Premier Division.

Their roster this campaign features 9 ex- top-flight players, with a total 1,801 top-flight appearances.

This elite team also contains over 220 top division scores and over 320 international caps.

The squad feature one forward, who notched thirty-seven scores in 117 appearances for his former club after signing for them for nine million pounds from Bundesliga club SC Freiburg in 2012.

Cisse made his first appearance for the team in their most recent home match versus defending champions their rivals and netted every one of the six goals in a six-two victory - featuring a half-hour first-half triple.

Wythenshawe's squad for this campaign also features ex- pros such as England and Liverpool striker Emile Heskey, Hull City and Burnley 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.

Together, the ex- Premier League players have won fifteen major trophies and moved for combined transfer fees of about £123m.

Household Figures and Global Stars

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

Ex- Senegalese striker Oumar Niasse, who scored 12 goals in sixty-five top-flight games for Everton and still goes to their matches at Goodison Park, also made his first appearance against Collegiate OB - who are based in the city and wear an Blue training kit as their uniform.

"A mate Stephen told me 'come and play, it's enjoyable'," said the striker.

"After that he told me we were facing a team from the city and the surprise I had when I noticed them wearing Everton kits - I thought this is strange for me!

"When you still enjoy football and you feel you can still play, anywhere you can play, what are you going to choose?

"The spectators who turn up and see are pleased and to give someone's day if they watch us playing there and to ask us questions - it's more like the joy of us having a place we can play, with organisation of course."

Such is the strength in depth at Wythenshawe, he had his debut at defender.

"It's a bit unusual but then, I enjoy running and just go forward - I'm not defending that much," he said.

"I tell my defender 'I'm not staying' and that I'm just going to continue attacking.

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

Unreal Experience

In addition to Cisse's six goals on debut, Ireland has scored eight in three games for the side, while Boyd hit five on his debut appearance and Lescott, a centre-half by trade, notched a hat-trick in one game as a striker.

Wythenshawe are top of the Top Division with 3 wins from three and a GD of +19.

One opponent, thirty-eight, who features on the flank for the opposition, came up against former Latics defender Figueroa on the weekend - and had to tell his young boy who Heskey was.

Figueroa has played at 2 World Cups for his country, in as well as featuring in over two hundred top-flight matches.

"It was spreading like wildfire they had all these former top-flight players," said the player.

"I think I was a bit starstruck facing him to be honest.

"Also Emile [Heskey] came on and he's got over 60 England appearances.

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

"Our group literally haven't stopped talking about it - I was calling my mum and brother on the journey home.

"They were all dead sound, shaking our hands after the match - it was like playing a group of normal fellas.

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

We Will Still Take the Title'

Andy Kirby manages the Collegiate veterans team, who secured the Premier Division title the previous campaign, together with his co-manager.

"Our team went 1-0 up and had a