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How do you boost a stellar veteran side that have claimed back-to-back championships, featuring a double triumph boasting thirty victories from 32 games?

Recruit a group of ex- pro players that have played at the elite tier of club football and global football as you target further honors.

A Greater Manchester team has an non-professional vets squad with nine ex- top-flight players in their current lineup.

222 Premier League Goals, 325 International Appearances

Wythenshawe Veterans Over 35s are located in south the city and compete in the Cheshire-based Veterans Division Top Division.

The squad list this season includes 9 former top-flight footballers, with a total nearly 1,800 top-flight matches.

The high-profile roster also includes over 220 top division goals and over 320 international caps.

They feature Papiss Cisse, who scored thirty-seven scores in over 100 appearances for Newcastle United after moving to them for nine million pounds from German league club SC Freiburg in January 2012.

He made his debut for the team in their most recent home-field match versus reigning title holders Collegiate Old Boys and netted every one of the six goals in a six-two win - featuring a 32-minute opening period hat-trick.

Wythenshawe's team for this campaign also includes ex- professionals such as England and Liverpool striker Emile Heskey, Hull City and Burnley midfielder George Boyd, Toffees striker Oumar Niasse, Wigan Athletic full-back Maynor Figueroa, Manchester City pair Stephen Ireland and Nedum Onuoha and top-flight championship victors Joleon Lescott and Danny Drinkwater.

In total, the ex- top-flight footballers have secured fifteen major honors and moved for combined transfer fees of approximately £123m.

Household Names and International Stars

Stephen Ireland began playing for the side in pre-season this season through close friend and present team player Blake Norton, and the former Irish midfielder then asked other former professionals, who all play in a weekly small-sided game, to participate.

Former Senegal forward Oumar Niasse, who netted 12 goals in sixty-five Premier League games for Everton and even now goes to their home games, also had his first appearance versus the opposition - who are based in the city and wear an Blue warm-up gear as their uniform.

"My mate Stephen said 'come and have a game, it's a laugh'," commented Niasse.

"Then he informed me we were playing a team from Liverpool and the surprise I had when I saw them wearing Blue shirts - I thought this is strange for me!

"If you still love the game and you know you can still do it, wherever you can kick a ball, what are you going to do?

"Those people who come and watch are happy and to give someone's moment if they see us competing there and to pose us questions - it's more like the joy of us getting a place we can play, with organisation of course."

Such is the bench strength at the club, he had his debut at full-back.

"It's a little unusual but then, I love running and just move 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 continue running.

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

Unreal Feeling

In addition to the forward's 6 goals on his first game, Stephen Ireland has netted 8 in three games for Wythenshawe, while Boyd scored five on his debut appearance and Joleon Lescott, a defender by trade, scored a hat-trick in one game as a striker.

The team are leading of the Top Tier with three victories from three and a goal difference of +19.

One opponent, thirty-eight, who plays on the flank for Collegiate OB, came up against former Latics defender Figueroa on Sunday - and had to tell his young boy who Heskey was.

Figueroa has played at 2 global tournaments for his country, in addition to playing in over two hundred Premier League matches.

"It was going round like a rumor they had all these ex-Premier League stars," remarked Barrow.

"I think I was a little awestruck playing against Figueroa to be honest.

"Even Heskey came on and he's has 60-odd English caps.

"Our side held our own for a good 20 minutes but then we had a player dismissed and it was hard.

"Our group literally have not stopped talking about it - I was calling my mum and brother on the way home.

"They were all really nice, shaking our hands after the match - it was like playing a bunch of regular guys.

"Now we are eager for the return fixture."

We Will Still Win the League'

The manager coaches the opposition veterans team, who secured the Premier Division championship last season, along with his co-manager.

"We went one-nil ahead and had a