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What do you enhance a excellent veteran side that have claimed consecutive championships, including a league-cup double with thirty victories from 32 games?

Recruit a raft of former pro players that have performed at the highest tier of club and international football as you target more silverware.

One Greater Manchester side has an non-professional veterans team with nine former top-flight players in their active lineup.

Two Hundred Twenty-Two Top Division Scores, 325 International Caps

Wythenshawe Veterans Over-35s are based in south Manchester and play in the Cheshire-based Vets League Top Tier.

Their squad list this campaign includes nine ex- top-flight players, with a combined over 1,800 Premier League games.

The star-studded squad also boasts 222 top division goals and 325 global appearances.

The squad include Papiss Cisse, who scored thirty-seven scores in 117 games for Newcastle United after moving to them for nine million pounds from Bundesliga club Freiburg in January 2012.

Cisse made his first appearance for the team in their most recent home game against reigning title holders Collegiate Old Boys and scored all six goals in a 6-2 victory - including a half-hour first-half triple.

Wythenshawe's squad for this season also includes former professionals such as England and Anfield forward Emile Heskey, Hull City and Burnley FC midfielder George Boyd, Toffees striker Oumar Niasse, Wigan Athletic defender Maynor Figueroa, City pair Stephen Ireland and Nedum Onuoha and Premier League title winners Joleon Lescott and Danny Drinkwater.

Together, the ex- top-flight players have claimed fifteen big trophies and transferred for combined transfer fees of approximately £123m.

Well-Known Names and International Stars

Stephen Ireland began turning out for the side in preseason this summer through good friend and present team player Blake Norton, and the ex- Irish midfielder then invited additional ex-pros, who all play in a weekly small-sided match, to join in.

Former Senegal forward Niasse, who scored twelve scores in 65 top-flight games for the Toffees and even now goes to their home games, also made his first appearance against the opposition - who are located in Liverpool and use an Blue training kit as their uniform.

"My mate Stephen said 'join and play, it's a laugh'," commented the striker.

"After that he told me we were facing a side from Liverpool and the surprise I had when I noticed them sporting Everton shirts - I thought this is strange for me!

"If you still love the game and you feel you can still play, anywhere you can kick a ball, what are you going to choose?

"The spectators who turn up and watch are pleased and to make a day if they watch us playing there and to pose us questions - it's really about the joy of us having a place we can enjoy football, with organisation of course."

So great is the squad depth at the club, he made his debut at full-back.

"It's a bit different but then, I enjoy sprinting and just go forward - I'm not defending that much," he added.

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

"The running is what I'm after. It's enjoyable."

Dreamlike' Experience

In addition to the forward's 6 goals on debut, Stephen Ireland has netted 8 in 3 games for the side, while George Boyd scored five on his first match and Lescott, a centre-half by position, scored a triple in one match up front.

Wythenshawe are top of the Top Tier with 3 victories from 3 and a goal difference of plus nineteen.

One opponent, 38, who features on the flank for the opposition, came up against former Wigan defender Figueroa on Sunday - and had to explain his young boy who Heskey was.

He has appeared at 2 global tournaments for his country, in as well as featuring in over 200 Premier League matches.

"It was spreading like a rumor they had these former top-flight stars," remarked the player.

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

"Also Emile [Heskey] got on and he's has 60-odd England appearances.

"We competed well for a good 20 mins but then we had a player sent off and it was hard.

"Our group literally haven't ceased chatting about it - I was calling my mother and brother on the journey home.

"The opponents were all dead sound, shaking our hands after the match - it was like facing a group of regular guys.

"Now we are eager for the second match."

'We'll Still Take the League'

The manager manages the Collegiate vets team, who won the Premier Tier title the previous campaign, along with Paul Maguire.

"We scored one-nil ahead and had a