🔗 Share this article

How can you improve a excellent veteran squad that have claimed back-to-back titles, including a double triumph boasting thirty victories from 32 games?

Recruit a group of former professionals that have competed at the highest level of club football and global football as you aim for more silverware.

One Greater Manchester club fields an non-professional veterans squad with 9 former top-flight players in their present squad.

Two Hundred Twenty-Two Top Division Scores, 325 Global Appearances

The team Veterans Over 35s are based in south Manchester and compete in the Cheshire Veterans Division Top Tier.

The lineup this campaign features nine former Premier League footballers, with a collective 1,801 elite games.

This star-studded roster also includes 222 Premier League scores and 325 global appearances.

They include Papiss Cisse, who netted thirty-seven scores in 117 appearances for Newcastle United after signing for them for nine million pounds from Bundesliga club SC Freiburg in January 2012.

Cisse had his debut for Wythenshawe in their most recent home-field match against reigning title holders their rivals and netted every one of the six goals in a six-two victory - including a 32-minute opening period triple.

The team for this campaign also includes former professionals such as English and Liverpool forward Emile Heskey, Hull and Burnley FC midfielder George Boyd, Toffees striker Oumar Niasse, Wigan Athletic full-back Maynor Figueroa, City duo Stephen Ireland and Nedum Onuoha and Premier League title winners Joleon Lescott and Danny Drinkwater.

In total, the former Premier League footballers have won fifteen major honors and transferred for total transfer fees of about £123m.

Well-Known Names and International Players

Ireland began turning out for the side during pre-season this season through close mate and present Wythenshawe player Blake Norton, and the former Irish player then asked additional former professionals, who all play in a midweek nine-a-side game, to participate.

Ex- Senegalese striker Niasse, who scored 12 goals in sixty-five Premier League games for the Toffees and even now goes to their matches at Goodison Park, also made his first appearance against the opposition - who are located in the city and use an Everton warm-up gear as their strip.

"My mate Stephen said 'come and play, it's enjoyable'," commented Niasse.

"Then he told me we were facing a team from the city and the surprise I had when I saw them wearing Blue kits - I say this is wrong for me!

"When you still love football and you feel you can still do it, anywhere you can play, what are you going to do?

"The spectators who come and watch are happy and to give a day if they watch us competing there and to ask us questions - it's really about the joy of us getting somewhere we can enjoy football, with organisation of course."

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

"It's a bit unusual but then, I love running and just move inside - I'm not staying back that much," he said.

"I tell my centre-back 'I'm not hanging back' and that I'm just going to continue running.

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

'Surreal Feeling

In addition to the forward's six goals on debut, Stephen Ireland has scored eight in three appearances for Wythenshawe, while George Boyd scored 5 on his first match and Joleon Lescott, a centre-half by trade, notched a hat-trick in one match as a striker.

The team are top of the Premier Tier with three wins from three and a goal difference of plus nineteen.

One opponent, 38, who plays on the flank for the opposition, came up against 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 Honduras, in addition to playing in over 200 top-flight matches.

"It was spreading like a rumor they had all these former top-flight stars," said Barrow.

"I think I was a bit awestruck playing against Figueroa to be honest.

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

"We competed well for a good 20 mins but then we had a man dismissed and it was tough.

"Our group literally have not ceased talking about it - I was phoning my mum and sibling on the journey home.

"The opponents were all friendly, shaking our hands after the match - it was like playing a group of regular fellas.

"Now we are eager for the second match."

We Will Still Win the League'

The manager manages the opposition veterans side, who secured the Premier Division title the previous campaign, along with Paul Maguire.

"Our team went one-nil ahead and had a