Meet the Sunday Division Team Featuring Nearly Two Thousand English Top Division Appearances
What do you enhance a stellar experienced side that have secured back-to-back titles, featuring a league-cup double boasting thirty victories from thirty-two games?
Bring in a collection of ex- professionals who have performed at the top tier of club football and global football as you pursue further silverware.
One Greater Manchester side fields an amateur veterans team with 9 ex- top-flight footballers in their present squad.
222 Premier League Goals, 325 International Caps
The team Vets Over-35s are located in south Manchester and compete in the Cheshire-based Vets League Premier Tier.
Their lineup this campaign features nine former top-flight footballers, with a total 1,801 elite games.
This high-profile roster also includes 222 Premier League scores and 325 international caps.
They feature Papiss Cisse, who notched 37 scores in 117 games for Newcastle United after signing for them for £9m from Bundesliga side SC Freiburg in 2012.
He made his first appearance for the team in their last home match against defending title holders their rivals and scored all six goals in a six-two victory - featuring a 32-minute first-half hat-trick.
The team for this season also features former pros such as English and Anfield forward Emile Heskey, Hull City and Burnley FC midfielder George Boyd, Everton forward Oumar Niasse, Wigan Athletic full-back Maynor Figueroa, Manchester City duo Stephen Ireland and Nedum Onuoha and Premier League championship winners Joleon Lescott and Danny Drinkwater.
Collectively, the ex- top-flight players have secured fifteen major honors and moved for combined transfer sums of around £123m.
Well-Known Names and Global Players
Stephen Ireland began playing for the side during pre-season this summer through close mate and present team player Blake Norton, and the former Irish midfielder then invited additional ex-pros, who all compete in a midweek nine-a-side game, to participate.
Ex- Senegalese forward Niasse, who scored twelve scores in sixty-five top-flight games for the Toffees and even now attends their matches at Goodison Park, also made his debut against Collegiate OB - who are based in the city and wear an Everton training kit as their uniform.
"My friend Stephen Ireland told me 'join and play, it's a laugh'," commented Niasse.
"Then he informed me we were facing 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 the game and you know you can still do it, anywhere you can kick a ball, what are you going to do?
"Those fans who turn up and watch are happy and to make a day if they see us playing there and to pose us queries - it's more like the joy of us getting somewhere we can play, with organisation of course."
Such is the strength in depth at the club, he made his debut at defender.
"It's a little unusual but then, I love running and just move inside - I'm not defending that much," he added.
"I warn my centre-back 'I'm not staying' and that I'm just going to keep attacking.
"The movement is what I'm looking for. It's good fun."
'Surreal Scenario
In addition to the forward's 6 goals on debut, Stephen Ireland has netted eight in 3 games for Wythenshawe, while Boyd scored 5 on his debut appearance and Joleon Lescott, a centre-half by trade, scored a triple in one match up front.
Wythenshawe are top of the Premier Tier with 3 victories from 3 and a goal difference of +19.
One opponent, 38, who plays on the flank for Collegiate OB, faced former Wigan full-back Figueroa on Sunday - and had to explain his young son who Heskey was.
Figueroa has appeared at 2 global tournaments for his country, in as well as playing in over two hundred Premier League matches.
"It was going round like wildfire they had these ex-Premier League players," said Barrow.
"I felt I was a little starstruck facing Figueroa to be honest.
"Even Emile [Heskey] came on and he's got over 60 English caps.
"Our side competed well for a good 20 minutes but then we had a man sent off and it was tough.
"Our group really haven't ceased talking about it - I was calling my mother and sibling on the way home.
"They were all really nice, shaking our hands after the game - it was like facing a bunch of regular fellas.
"Now we are eager for the return match."
We Will Still Take the League'
The manager manages the Collegiate veterans side, who secured the Premier Division championship last season, along with his co-manager.
"Our team scored 1-0 up and had a