Discover this Weekend Division Squad With 1,800 Premier League Matches

How can you improve a outstanding veteran side that have claimed back-to-back championships, including a league-cup double with thirty victories from 32 games?

Recruit a raft of former pro players who have performed at the elite level of club football and international football as you target further silverware.

A Manchester side has an amateur vets team with 9 ex- top-flight footballers in their current roster.

222 Premier League Goals, 325 International Caps

The team Veterans Over 35s are situated in south the city and compete in the Cheshire Veterans League Top Division.

Their squad list this campaign includes nine former top-flight players, with a total 1,801 top-flight matches.

The high-profile roster also contains 222 top division scores and over 320 international caps.

They feature Papiss Cisse, who notched 37 scores in over 100 appearances for his former club after moving to them for £9m from German league club Freiburg in 2012.

Cisse had his first appearance for Wythenshawe in their last home-field match versus defending champions their rivals and scored all six scores in a six-two win - including a 32-minute opening period triple.

The squad for this season also features former professionals such as English and Anfield striker Emile Heskey, Hull and Burnley midfielder George Boyd, Everton forward Oumar Niasse, Wigan defender Maynor Figueroa, Manchester City pair Stephen Ireland and Nedum Onuoha and Premier League title victors Joleon Lescott and Danny Drinkwater.

In total, the ex- top-flight players have claimed fifteen major trophies and moved for combined transfer sums of about £123 million.

Household Names and Global Players

Stephen Ireland started turning out for the team in pre-season this summer through close mate and current team teammate Blake Norton, and the former Republic of Ireland midfielder then invited other former professionals, who all compete in a weekly small-sided game, to participate.

Ex- Senegalese forward Oumar Niasse, who scored twelve scores in 65 top-flight matches for Everton and even now goes to their matches at Goodison Park, also made his first appearance against Collegiate OB - who are located in the city and use an Blue training kit as their strip.

"A friend Stephen Ireland told me 'come and play, it's enjoyable'," said the striker.

"Then he informed me we were playing a team from the city and the shock I had when I saw them wearing Everton kits - I thought this is strange for me!

"If you still enjoy the game and you feel you can still play, anywhere you can play, what are you going to choose?

"The people who come and watch are pleased and to make a moment if they see us competing there and to ask us queries - it's more like the joy of us having somewhere we can enjoy football, with structure of course."

Such is the strength in depth at Wythenshawe, Niasse made his debut at defender.

"It's a little different but then, I love running and just go inside - I'm not defending that much," he added.

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

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

Dreamlike' Scenario

Along with the forward's 6 goals on debut, Ireland has netted eight in 3 appearances for Wythenshawe, while Boyd scored five on his first appearance and Joleon Lescott, a centre-half by position, notched a hat-trick in one match as a striker.

The team are leading of the Top Tier with three victories from 3 and a goal difference of plus nineteen.

One opponent, 38, who features on the wing for Collegiate OB, came up against ex- Latics defender Figueroa on Sunday - and had to explain his young boy who Heskey was.

Figueroa has appeared at two World Cups for his country, in addition to featuring in more than 200 Premier League matches.

"The news was spreading like wildfire they had all these former top-flight stars," said Barrow.

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

"Even Emile [Heskey] got on and he's has over 60 England caps.

"Our side competed well for a good twenty mins but then we had a man sent off and it was tough.

"Our group really have not stopped chatting about it - I was calling my mother and sibling on the way home.

"They were all dead sound, shaking our hands after the game - it was like facing a group of normal fellas.

"Now we can't wait for the second fixture."

'We'll Still Win the League'

The manager coaches the opposition veterans side, who secured the Premier Division championship last season, along with Paul Maguire.

"Our team scored 1-0 up and had a