Meet the Weekend League Squad Featuring Over 1,800 Premier League Games
How do you enhance a stellar experienced side that have secured consecutive titles, including a league-cup double with 30 wins from 32 matches?
Bring in a raft of ex- professionals who have performed at the highest tier of club football and global football as you pursue additional silverware.
A Greater Manchester club fields an amateur vets squad with 9 former top-flight footballers in their active squad.
222 Premier League Scores, Three Hundred Twenty-Five Global Caps
Wythenshawe Vets Over-35s are based in southern the city and compete in the Cheshire-based Veterans League Top Tier.
Their roster this campaign features 9 former top-flight players, with a collective over 1,800 elite appearances.
This elite squad also includes over 220 Premier League scores and over 320 global caps.
They feature one forward, who netted 37 scores in over 100 appearances for Newcastle United after moving to them for £9m from Bundesliga side Freiburg in 2012.
He made his first appearance for Wythenshawe in their most recent home game versus reigning title holders their rivals and scored all six scores in a 6-2 win - featuring a half-hour opening period hat-trick.
Wythenshawe's team for this season also includes ex- professionals such as English and Anfield striker Emile Heskey, Hull and Burnley FC midfielder George Boyd, Everton striker Oumar Niasse, Wigan Athletic defender Maynor Figueroa, City pair Stephen Ireland and Nedum Onuoha and Premier League title winners Joleon Lescott and Danny Drinkwater.
Together, the former top-flight players have claimed fifteen big trophies and transferred for total transfer sums of about £123m.
Well-Known Figures and Global Players
Stephen Ireland began turning out for the team in preseason this summer through close mate and current Wythenshawe player Blake Norton, and the former Republic of Ireland player then invited other ex-pros, who all compete in a midweek small-sided game, to join in.
Ex- Senegal striker Oumar Niasse, who netted twelve goals in sixty-five top-flight matches for Everton and even now goes to their home games, also made his debut against Collegiate OB - who are located in Liverpool and wear an Everton training kit as their uniform.
"My friend Stephen said 'come and play, it's a laugh'," said the striker.
"After that he informed me we were playing a team from the city and the surprise I had when I noticed them sporting Blue shirts - I say this is strange for me!
"When you still love the game and you know you can still do it, wherever you can play, what are you going to choose?
"Those spectators who come and see are happy and to give someone's day if they see us competing there and to pose us queries - it's more like the joy of us having somewhere we can enjoy football, with organisation of course."
Such is the squad depth at the club, Niasse had his first game at full-back.
"It's a little different but then, I enjoy running and just go inside - I'm not defending that much," he added.
"I tell my centre-back 'I'm not staying' and that I'm just going to continue running.
"That running is what I'm looking for. It's enjoyable."
Unreal Feeling
In addition to the forward's 6 goals on debut, Ireland has netted eight in 3 games for the side, while George Boyd scored 5 on his first match and Lescott, a defender by trade, notched a triple in one match up front.
Wythenshawe are leading of the Top Tier with 3 victories from three and a goal difference of +19.
One opponent, 38, who plays on the wing for the opposition, faced ex- Latics defender Maynor Figueroa on Sunday - and had to tell his young son who Emile Heskey was.
He has appeared at two global tournaments for his country, in addition to featuring in over 200 Premier League games.
"It was spreading like wildfire they had all these ex-Premier League players," remarked the player.
"I felt I was a bit awestruck facing Figueroa to be honest.
"Also Heskey came on and he's has 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 really haven't stopped talking about it - I was calling my mum and sibling on the journey home.
"The opponents were all friendly, shaking our hands after the match - it was like facing a bunch of normal guys.
"Now we are eager for the return fixture."
'We'll Still Win the League'
The manager manages the opposition vets team, who secured the Premier Division championship last season, together with Paul Maguire.
"We went one-nil ahead and had a