Meet the Weekend League Club Featuring Over 1,800 English Top Division Appearances
What can you improve a outstanding veteran squad that have won consecutive titles, featuring a double triumph boasting thirty victories from thirty-two games?
Bring in a raft of former pro players who have competed at the elite level of club and international football as you pursue further honors.
A Manchester club has an non-professional vets team with 9 former Premier League players in their active roster.
222 Premier League Goals, 325 Global Appearances
Wythenshawe Vets Over-35s are based in southern Manchester and play in the Cheshire Veterans League Premier Division.
Their lineup this season includes 9 former top-flight footballers, with a combined nearly 1,800 elite appearances.
This star-studded team also boasts over 220 Premier League scores and over 320 international caps.
The squad feature one forward, who scored thirty-seven scores in over 100 appearances for Newcastle United after signing for them for nine million pounds from Bundesliga side Freiburg in 2012.
He had his debut for Wythenshawe in their most recent home game versus reigning champions their rivals and netted every one of the six scores in a six-two victory - featuring a 32-minute first-half triple.
Wythenshawe's roster for this season also includes ex- pros such as England and Anfield forward Emile Heskey, Hull City and Burnley FC winger George Boyd, Toffees striker Oumar Niasse, Wigan Athletic full-back Maynor Figueroa, Manchester City pair Stephen Ireland and Nedum Onuoha and Premier League title winners Joleon Lescott and Danny Drinkwater.
Together, the ex- Premier League players have won 15 big trophies and transferred for total transfer sums of approximately £123m.
Household Figures and International Stars
Stephen Ireland started playing for the team in pre-season this season through close friend and present team teammate Blake Norton, and the ex- Irish player then asked other ex-pros, who all play in a midweek small-sided match, to participate.
Ex- Senegalese forward Niasse, who scored twelve scores in sixty-five top-flight games for Everton and even now goes to their home games, also had his first appearance against Collegiate OB - who are located in the city and use an Blue warm-up gear as their strip.
"A mate Stephen said 'come and have a game, it's a laugh'," commented the striker.
"After that he informed me we were facing a team from the city and the surprise I had when I saw them sporting Everton kits - I say this is strange for me!
"If you still enjoy football and you know you can still do it, wherever you can kick a ball, what are you going to do?
"The people who come and see are happy and to make a moment if they see us competing there and to ask us queries - it's more like the joy of us getting somewhere we can play, with structure of course."
So great is the strength in depth at Wythenshawe, he had his debut at defender.
"That's a bit unusual but then, I love sprinting and just move inside - I'm not staying back that much," he added.
"I warn my defender 'I'm not hanging back' and that I'm just going to continue running.
"The movement is what I'm looking for. It's enjoyable."
'Surreal Feeling
In addition to the forward's six goals on debut, Ireland has netted eight in 3 appearances for Wythenshawe, while George Boyd scored five on his debut appearance and Joleon Lescott, a centre-half by position, scored a hat-trick in one game as a striker.
The team are leading of the Premier Tier with 3 victories from 3 and a goal difference of plus nineteen.
One opponent, thirty-eight, who plays on the wing for the opposition, came up against ex- Wigan defender Figueroa on Sunday - and had to explain his young son who Heskey was.
He has appeared at two global tournaments for his country, in addition to featuring in more than 200 Premier League matches.
"It was spreading like a rumor they had these former top-flight players," said the player.
"I felt I was a bit starstruck playing against Figueroa to be honest.
"Also Emile [Heskey] got on and he's got 60-odd England appearances.
"Our side competed well for a good twenty mins but then we had a player sent off and it was tough.
"Our group really have not ceased chatting about it - I was phoning my mother and sibling on the way home.
"The opponents were all dead sound, shaking our hands after the game - it was like facing a group of normal guys.
"Now we are eager for the second fixture."
'We'll Still Take the League'
Andy Kirby coaches the Collegiate vets team, who secured the Top Tier championship last season, along with Paul Maguire.
"Our team went 1-0 up and had a