Introduce this Weekend Division Team With Over 1,800 English Top Division Games
How do you improve a stellar experienced squad who have won back-to-back titles, including a league-cup double boasting 30 wins from 32 games?
Recruit a collection of former professionals that have played at the highest level of club football and global soccer as you aim for more silverware.
One Manchester team has an non-professional vets team with 9 ex- top-flight players in their current squad.
222 Top Division Goals, 325 Global Appearances
Wythenshawe Vets Over-35s are situated in southern Manchester and play in the Cheshire-based Veterans Division Top Tier.
Their lineup this season features 9 ex- top-flight players, with a combined nearly 1,800 Premier League matches.
The elite squad also includes over 220 Premier League goals and over 320 global appearances.
The squad feature one forward, who notched thirty-seven goals in over 100 games for his former club after signing for them for nine million pounds from Bundesliga side Freiburg in 2012.
He made his debut for the team in their most recent home game versus reigning champions their rivals and scored every one of the six goals in a 6-2 victory - including a 32-minute opening period hat-trick.
The team for this campaign also includes former pros such as England and Anfield forward Emile Heskey, Hull City and Burnley FC winger George Boyd, Everton forward Oumar Niasse, Wigan Athletic full-back Maynor Figueroa, Manchester City duo Stephen Ireland and Nedum Onuoha and Premier League title winners Joleon Lescott and Danny Drinkwater.
Together, the ex- top-flight footballers have claimed fifteen major honors and moved for combined transfer fees of about £123 million.
Well-Known Names and Global Players
Stephen Ireland began turning out for the side during preseason this season through good friend and current team teammate Blake Norton, and the former Republic of Ireland midfielder then invited other former professionals, who all play in a midweek small-sided match, to join in.
Ex- Senegalese striker Oumar Niasse, who scored twelve scores in 65 Premier League matches for Everton and even now goes to their home games, also made his first appearance versus Collegiate OB - who are located in Liverpool and use an Everton warm-up gear as their strip.
"My friend Stephen told me 'join and play, it's good fun'," said the striker.
"After that he told me we were playing a side from Liverpool and the shock I had when I noticed them wearing Blue kits - I say this is strange for me!
"When you still enjoy the game and you feel you can still do it, wherever you can play, what are you going to do?
"Those spectators who turn up and see are pleased and to make a moment if they watch us competing there and to ask us queries - it's really about the joy of us having somewhere we can play, with structure of course."
Such is the squad depth at Wythenshawe, Niasse made his first game at full-back.
"It's a bit unusual but then, I enjoy sprinting and just go forward - I'm not defending that much," he said.
"I warn my defender 'I'm not staying' and that I'm just going to keep attacking.
"That running is what I'm seeking. It's enjoyable."
'Surreal Scenario
Along with Cisse's six scores on debut, Ireland has scored eight in three games for Wythenshawe, while George Boyd scored five on his debut match and Lescott, a defender by position, notched a triple in one game as a striker.
The team are leading of the Top Tier with 3 victories from three and a goal difference of +19.
One opponent, 38, who features on the flank for the opposition, faced former Latics defender Figueroa on Sunday - and had to explain his nine-year-old boy who Heskey was.
He has played at 2 World Cups for Honduras, in as well as playing in more than 200 top-flight games.
"The news was going round like wildfire they had all these ex-Premier League stars," remarked Barrow.
"I felt I was a little awestruck facing him to be honest.
"Even Emile [Heskey] got on and he's got over 60 English appearances.
"We held our own for a good 20 mins but then we had a player dismissed and it was tough.
"We literally have not ceased talking about it - I was phoning my mum and sibling on the way home.
"They were all really nice, shaking our hands after the game - it was like playing a group of regular guys.
"Now we are eager for the return fixture."
We Will Still Take the League'
The manager manages the opposition vets side, who secured the Premier Division title last season, together with Paul Maguire.
"We scored one-nil ahead and had a