Discover the Weekend Division Squad With 1,800 Top-Flight Games
How can you enhance a outstanding veteran squad who have secured consecutive titles, featuring a double triumph boasting thirty victories from 32 matches?
Bring in a collection of former pro players that have competed at the highest level of club and international soccer as you target additional silverware.
One Greater Manchester side has an non-professional vets squad with nine ex- top-flight footballers in their current roster.
222 Top Division Scores, 325 International Appearances
Wythenshawe Vets Over-35s are located in south the city and play in the Cheshire Veterans League Top Division.
The lineup this season features 9 ex- top-flight players, with a collective over 1,800 elite games.
The star-studded team also includes over 220 top division scores and over 320 global caps.
The squad include one forward, who scored 37 scores in 117 appearances for Newcastle United after moving to them for £9m from Bundesliga side Freiburg in 2012.
He had his debut for the team in their most recent home-field game versus defending title holders Collegiate Old Boys and netted every one of the six goals in a six-two victory - including a 32-minute first-half hat-trick.
Wythenshawe's squad for this season also features former pros such as English and Liverpool forward Emile Heskey, Hull City and Burnley winger George Boyd, Toffees striker Oumar Niasse, Wigan defender Maynor Figueroa, City duo Stephen Ireland and Nedum Onuoha and top-flight title winners Joleon Lescott and Danny Drinkwater.
Collectively, the former top-flight footballers have claimed 15 significant trophies and moved for total transfer fees of around £123m.
Household Names and Global Stars
Ireland started playing for the team during preseason this summer through close mate and current team teammate Blake Norton, and the ex- Irish player then invited other former professionals, who all compete in a weekly small-sided game, to join in.
Ex- Senegal forward Niasse, who scored twelve scores in 65 top-flight games for Everton and even now attends their home games, also made his first appearance versus Collegiate OB - who are based in the city and use an Everton training kit as their uniform.
"A friend Stephen said 'join and play, it's good fun'," commented Niasse.
"After that he informed me we were playing a team from Liverpool and the surprise I had when I noticed them wearing Blue shirts - I thought this is strange for me!
"If you still enjoy football and you know you can still do it, wherever you can play, what are you going to choose?
"Those fans who come and see are happy and to give a moment if they see us playing there and to pose us questions - it's really about the joy of us having somewhere we can enjoy football, with structure of course."
So great is the strength in depth at the club, Niasse had his first game at defender.
"That's a bit different but then, I enjoy running and just move inside - I'm not staying back that much," he added.
"I tell my centre-back 'I'm not staying' and that I'm just going to continue attacking.
"That movement is what I'm seeking. It's good fun."
'Surreal Experience
In addition to Cisse's six goals on debut, Ireland has netted eight in 3 appearances for Wythenshawe, while George Boyd hit five on his first match and Lescott, a defender by position, scored a hat-trick in one match as a striker.
The team are top of the Premier Tier with three wins from three and a GD of plus nineteen.
One opponent, 38, who plays on the flank for the opposition, faced ex- Wigan defender Figueroa on Sunday - and had to explain his young son who Emile Heskey was.
Figueroa has played at two global tournaments for Honduras, in as well as playing in more than two hundred Premier League games.
"The news was spreading like a rumor they had all these ex-Premier League stars," said Barrow.
"I think I was a little starstruck facing him to be honest.
"Even Heskey came on and he's has over 60 English appearances.
"Our side competed well for a solid 20 mins but then we had a man sent off and it was tough.
"Our group really haven't ceased chatting about it - I was phoning my mother and sibling on the journey home.
"They were all really nice, shaking our hands after the match - it was like playing a bunch of regular fellas.
"Now we are eager for the return fixture."
'We'll Still Win the League'
Andy Kirby coaches the Collegiate vets side, who won the Top Division championship last season, along with his co-manager.
"Our team scored 1-0 up and had a