Meet this Sunday League Squad With Nearly Two Thousand English Top Division Matches
What do you improve a outstanding experienced team who have claimed consecutive championships, featuring a double triumph boasting 30 victories from thirty-two games?
Recruit a collection of ex- pro players that have performed at the highest tier of club football and global soccer as you aim for further honors.
A Greater Manchester team boasts an non-professional veterans team with 9 ex- top-flight players in their active roster.
222 Top Division Goals, 325 International Caps
The team Vets Over-35s are based in south Manchester and compete in the Cheshire Veterans Division Top Division.
Their squad list this campaign features nine ex- top-flight footballers, with a total nearly 1,800 top-flight matches.
The star-studded team also includes over 220 Premier League goals and 325 international appearances.
The squad include Papiss Cisse, who scored 37 goals in 117 appearances for Newcastle United after signing for them for nine million pounds from Bundesliga club Freiburg in 2012.
He made his first appearance for Wythenshawe in their last home game versus reigning champions Collegiate Old Boys and scored all six scores in a six-two victory - including a 32-minute first-half hat-trick.
Wythenshawe's team for this season also features former pros such as England and Anfield forward Emile Heskey, Hull City and Burnley winger George Boyd, Everton forward Oumar Niasse, Wigan full-back Maynor Figueroa, City duo Stephen Ireland and Nedum Onuoha and top-flight title victors Joleon Lescott and Danny Drinkwater.
Collectively, the ex- Premier League players have won fifteen significant honors and moved for combined transfer fees of approximately £123 million.
Famous Figures and International Players
Stephen Ireland started turning out for the side during preseason this season through close mate and current team teammate Blake Norton, and the former Republic of Ireland player then asked additional former professionals, who all play in a weekly nine-a-side game, to join in.
Ex- Senegal striker Niasse, who scored 12 goals in 65 Premier League games for Everton and even now goes to their matches at Goodison Park, also made his debut against the opposition - who are located in Liverpool and wear an Blue training kit as their strip.
"My mate Stephen told me 'come and play, it's a laugh'," commented the striker.
"After that he told me we were playing a side from Liverpool and the shock I had when I noticed them sporting Everton kits - I say this is wrong for me!
"If you still enjoy the game and you know you can still do it, anywhere you can kick a ball, what are you going to do?
"The spectators who turn up and watch are pleased and to give someone's moment if they see us competing there and to ask us questions - it's more like the pleasure of us having a place we can play, with structure of course."
Such is the squad depth at the club, Niasse had his first game at full-back.
"It's a bit different 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 looking for. It's good fun."
'Surreal Scenario
Along with the forward's six scores on debut, Stephen Ireland has scored 8 in 3 appearances for Wythenshawe, while Boyd hit 5 on his first match and Joleon Lescott, a defender by position, scored a triple in one match as a striker.
The team are top of the Premier Tier with 3 wins from 3 and a GD of plus nineteen.
One opponent, 38, who features on the wing for the opposition, came up against former Latics full-back Figueroa on the weekend - and had to explain his nine-year-old son who Heskey was.
Figueroa has played at two global tournaments for Honduras, in as well as featuring in over 200 top-flight games.
"It was spreading like a rumor they had all these ex-Premier League stars," said the player.
"I think I was a bit awestruck facing Figueroa to be honest.
"Also Emile [Heskey] came on and he's has 60-odd English appearances.
"Our side competed well for a good twenty minutes but then we had a player sent off and it was hard.
"Our group literally haven't ceased talking about it - I was calling my mother and brother on the journey home.
"They were all friendly, shaking our hands after the match - it was like facing a group of regular guys.
"Now we are eager for the second fixture."
We Will Still Win the League'
The manager coaches the Collegiate veterans side, who secured the Top Division championship the previous campaign, together with his co-manager.
"We scored one-nil up and had a