Meet this Weekend League Club Boasting Over 1,800 Premier League Matches
How do you boost a outstanding veteran side who have secured consecutive championships, including a league-cup double boasting 30 victories from thirty-two games?
Bring in a raft of ex- pro players that have competed at the highest level of club football and international football as you target more honors.
One Manchester side has an amateur vets squad with 9 former Premier League footballers in their active roster.
222 Top Division Goals, Three Hundred Twenty-Five Global Caps
Wythenshawe Veterans Over-35s are based in southern the city and play in the Cheshire Veterans Division Premier Division.
Their squad list this campaign features nine former Premier League footballers, with a total 1,801 top-flight appearances.
This elite team also includes 222 top division scores and over 320 global appearances.
The squad feature one forward, who scored thirty-seven goals in over 100 appearances for his former club after joining them for nine million pounds from German league club Freiburg in January 2012.
He had his first appearance for the team in their most recent home game versus defending champions their rivals and scored every one of the six scores in a six-two win - including a half-hour first-half hat-trick.
Wythenshawe's team for this campaign also includes ex- pros such as England and Anfield striker Emile Heskey, Hull and Burnley FC winger George Boyd, Everton striker Oumar Niasse, Wigan defender Maynor Figueroa, Manchester City pair Stephen Ireland and Nedum Onuoha and Premier League championship victors Joleon Lescott and Danny Drinkwater.
Together, the former Premier League players have claimed 15 big trophies and transferred for combined transfer fees of about ÂŁ123m.
Famous Names and International Players
Ireland started playing for the side in pre-season this season through good friend and present team player Blake Norton, and the ex- Republic of Ireland midfielder then invited other former professionals, who all compete in a weekly nine-a-side game, to participate.
Ex- Senegal forward Niasse, who scored 12 goals in 65 Premier League matches for the Toffees and even now attends their matches at Goodison Park, also had his debut versus Collegiate OB - who are located in the city and wear an Everton training kit as their strip.
"My friend Stephen said 'come and play, it's enjoyable'," commented Niasse.
"Then he told me we were playing a side from Liverpool and the surprise I had when I noticed them sporting Everton kits - I say this is wrong for me!
"When you still love the game and you know you can still play, wherever you can kick a ball, what are you going to do?
"The fans who come and watch are happy and to give a moment if they watch us competing there and to pose us questions - it's really about the joy of us getting somewhere we can enjoy football, with structure of course."
Such is the bench strength at the club, Niasse had his debut at defender.
"That's a little unusual but then, I enjoy sprinting and just go inside - I'm not staying back that much," he said.
"I tell my defender 'I'm not hanging back' and that I'm just going to continue running.
"That running is what I'm seeking. It's enjoyable."
Dreamlike' Feeling
In addition to Cisse's six scores on his first game, Ireland has netted 8 in 3 appearances for Wythenshawe, while George Boyd scored 5 on his debut match and Joleon Lescott, a defender by position, notched a triple in one game as a striker.
Wythenshawe are top of the Premier Tier with three wins from three and a goal difference of +19.
One opponent, 38, who features on the flank for the opposition, came up against ex- Wigan defender Figueroa on the weekend - and had to explain his young boy who Heskey was.
Figueroa has appeared at 2 World Cups for his country, in addition to featuring in over 200 top-flight games.
"It was spreading like wildfire they had all these ex-Premier League players," remarked the player.
"I think I was a bit awestruck playing against him to be honest.
"Even Heskey came on and he's got 60-odd England appearances.
"Our side held our own for a solid 20 minutes but then we had a man sent off and it was tough.
"Our group literally have not ceased talking about it - I was phoning my mother and sibling on the way home.
"They were all really nice, shaking our hands after the game - it was like playing a group of normal guys.
"Now we are eager for the return match."
We Will Still Take the League'
The manager manages the opposition vets side, who won the Premier Tier championship the previous campaign, along with his co-manager.
"We scored 1-0 up and had a