🔗 Share this article

How can you boost a stellar veteran squad who have won consecutive championships, including a double triumph boasting 30 wins from thirty-two games?

Recruit a collection of ex- pro players that have performed at the elite level of club football and global soccer as you pursue further silverware.

A Greater Manchester team has an amateur vets squad with 9 ex- Premier League players in their present squad.

Two Hundred Twenty-Two Premier League Scores, Three Hundred Twenty-Five International Appearances

Wythenshawe Vets Over 35s are based in southern Manchester and play in the Cheshire Veterans League Premier Division.

Their lineup this season features nine former top-flight players, with a combined over 1,800 top-flight games.

This high-profile squad also includes over 220 top division scores and 325 global caps.

The squad feature Papiss Cisse, who scored thirty-seven goals in over 100 appearances for Newcastle United after moving to them for nine million pounds from German league side SC Freiburg in 2012.

Cisse had his first appearance for the team in their last home-field game against reigning title holders their rivals and netted all six scores in a six-two victory - including a 32-minute opening period hat-trick.

Wythenshawe's team for this campaign also includes former professionals such as English and Liverpool forward Emile Heskey, Hull and Burnley midfielder George Boyd, Everton forward Oumar Niasse, Wigan full-back Maynor Figueroa, Manchester City duo Stephen Ireland and Nedum Onuoha and top-flight title victors Joleon Lescott and Danny Drinkwater.

Together, the ex- top-flight footballers have secured fifteen significant trophies and transferred for combined transfer sums of about £123m.

Well-Known Names and Global Players

Ireland started playing for the side in pre-season this season through close mate and current Wythenshawe player Blake Norton, and the former Republic of Ireland player then asked other ex-pros, who all play in a weekly nine-a-side game, to participate.

Ex- Senegal forward Niasse, who netted twelve scores in sixty-five Premier League matches for the Toffees and still attends their home games, also made his first appearance against the opposition - who are located in the city and wear an Everton warm-up gear as their strip.

"A mate Stephen told me 'come and have a game, it's a laugh'," said Niasse.

"After that he informed me we were playing a team from Liverpool and the surprise I had when I noticed them wearing Blue kits - I say this is wrong for me!

"If you still enjoy football and you know you can still play, anywhere you can play, what are you going to do?

"The people who come and see are happy and to give a day if they watch us competing there and to pose us questions - it's really about the pleasure of us having a place we can enjoy football, with structure of course."

So great is the squad depth at the club, Niasse had his debut at defender.

"That's a bit different but then, I enjoy sprinting and just move forward - I'm not staying back that much," he said.

"I warn my centre-back 'I'm not staying' and that I'm just going to keep running.

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

Unreal Scenario

In addition to the forward's six goals on his first game, Ireland has netted 8 in three appearances for Wythenshawe, while George Boyd scored five on his debut appearance and Joleon Lescott, a defender by position, scored a triple in one game as a striker.

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

One opponent, thirty-eight, who plays on the flank for the opposition, faced ex- Latics defender Maynor Figueroa on Sunday - and had to explain his nine-year-old son who Heskey was.

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

"The news was spreading like a rumor they had all these ex-Premier League players," remarked Barrow.

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

"Also Emile [Heskey] came on and he's got 60-odd English appearances.

"We competed well for a good twenty mins but then we had a player dismissed and it was tough.

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

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

"Now we are eager for the second match."

'We'll Still Win the Title'

The manager coaches the opposition vets team, who won the Top Division championship the previous campaign, together with Paul Maguire.

"Our team went 1-0 ahead and had a