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What do you improve a stellar veteran side who have won back-to-back championships, featuring a league-cup double boasting thirty victories from 32 matches?

Recruit a raft of former pro players who have competed at the top tier of club and international football as you pursue more silverware.

A Greater Manchester side has an amateur vets squad with 9 ex- top-flight footballers in their present lineup.

222 Premier League Goals, 325 International Caps

Wythenshawe Vets Over 35s are located in south Manchester and compete in the Cheshire-based Vets League Top Division.

The squad list this season includes nine ex- Premier League players, with a combined over 1,800 elite games.

This elite roster also contains 222 Premier League goals and 325 international appearances.

The squad include one forward, who notched 37 scores in 117 appearances for Newcastle United after moving to them for £9m from German league side Freiburg in 2012.

He made his first appearance for the team in their last home-field game against defending title holders their rivals and netted all six scores in a six-two win - featuring a 32-minute opening period hat-trick.

Wythenshawe's team for this season also features ex- pros such as England and Anfield striker Emile Heskey, Hull and Burnley winger George Boyd, Toffees forward Oumar Niasse, Wigan Athletic full-back Maynor Figueroa, Manchester City duo Stephen Ireland and Nedum Onuoha and Premier League championship victors Joleon Lescott and Danny Drinkwater.

In total, the former top-flight footballers have claimed 15 major trophies and transferred for total transfer sums of about £123m.

Famous Figures and International Players

Stephen Ireland began playing for the side during pre-season this season through close mate and current Wythenshawe teammate Blake Norton, and the ex- Irish player then invited additional former professionals, who all play in a weekly nine-a-side match, to participate.

Ex- Senegal forward Niasse, who netted twelve goals in 65 top-flight matches for Everton and even now attends their matches at Goodison Park, also made his first appearance against the opposition - who are based in Liverpool and use an Blue warm-up gear as their uniform.

"A friend Stephen said 'join and play, it's enjoyable'," said Niasse.

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

"If you still enjoy football and you feel you can still do it, anywhere you can play, what are you going to choose?

"The spectators who come and see are pleased and to give someone's day if they watch us competing there and to ask us questions - it's really about the joy of us getting somewhere we can enjoy football, with organisation of course."

So great is the strength in depth at Wythenshawe, Niasse had his debut at full-back.

"That's a little unusual 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 hanging back' and that I'm just going to keep attacking.

"That movement is what I'm looking for. It's enjoyable."

'Surreal Feeling

In addition to the forward's 6 scores on debut, Stephen Ireland has scored eight in three games for Wythenshawe, while George Boyd scored five on his debut appearance and Lescott, a centre-half by trade, notched a triple in one game as a striker.

Wythenshawe are top of the Premier Division with 3 victories from three and a goal difference of +19.

Paul Barrow, thirty-eight, who plays on the flank for Collegiate OB, came up against former Wigan defender Figueroa on the weekend - and had to tell his young boy who Heskey was.

He has played at 2 global tournaments for Honduras, in addition to featuring in more than 200 top-flight matches.

"It was going round like wildfire they had all these former top-flight stars," said the player.

"I think I was a bit starstruck facing him to be honest.

"Even Heskey came on and he's has over 60 English appearances.

"We held our own for a solid twenty minutes but then we had a man sent off and it was hard.

"We literally haven't stopped talking about it - I was phoning my mum and brother on the journey home.

"They were all really nice, shaking our hands after the game - it was like facing a group of regular guys.

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

'We'll Still Win the Title'

Andy Kirby manages the Collegiate vets side, who won the Premier Division championship last season, along with Paul Maguire.

"Our team scored 1-0 ahead and had a