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How do you improve a stellar veteran side that have secured consecutive championships, including a double triumph with thirty wins from 32 games?

Sign a group of ex- pro players who have performed at the elite level of club football and international football as you aim for more silverware.

A Greater Manchester club fields an non-professional veterans squad with nine ex- top-flight players in their active lineup.

222 Premier League Scores, 325 International Appearances

The team Vets Over 35s are based in southern the city and play in the Cheshire Vets League Top Tier.

Their roster this campaign features 9 ex- top-flight players, with a collective over 1,800 elite appearances.

This star-studded team also boasts over 220 top division goals and over 320 global appearances.

They include one forward, who netted thirty-seven goals in over 100 appearances for Newcastle United after moving to them for nine million pounds from German league side Freiburg in 2012.

He made his debut for the team in their most recent home-field match versus defending champions Collegiate Old Boys and scored every one of the six goals in a six-two victory - including a 32-minute first-half hat-trick.

Wythenshawe's team for this campaign also features former professionals such as England and Liverpool forward Emile Heskey, Hull City and Burnley FC midfielder George Boyd, Everton striker Oumar Niasse, Wigan full-back Maynor Figueroa, City pair Stephen Ireland and Nedum Onuoha and Premier League title victors Joleon Lescott and Danny Drinkwater.

In total, the former top-flight footballers have won 15 significant trophies and moved for total transfer fees of approximately £123m.

Household Names and Global Players

Stephen Ireland began playing for the team during pre-season this summer through good mate and present team teammate Blake Norton, and the ex- Republic of Ireland midfielder then asked other former professionals, who all compete in a midweek small-sided game, to participate.

Ex- Senegalese forward Oumar Niasse, who scored twelve goals in sixty-five top-flight matches for Everton and still goes to their home games, also made his debut against Collegiate OB - who are based in Liverpool and wear an Everton warm-up gear as their uniform.

"A mate Stephen Ireland told me 'come and have a game, it's enjoyable'," commented the striker.

"After that he told me we were playing a team from Liverpool and the shock I had when I saw them wearing Everton kits - I thought this is wrong for me!

"When you still love football and you know you can still do it, wherever you can kick a ball, what are you going to do?

"The fans who turn up and see are happy and to make a moment if they see us competing there and to ask us queries - it's really about the joy of us having a place we can play, with organisation of course."

Such is the bench strength at the club, Niasse had his first game at defender.

"That's a little unusual but then, I enjoy running and just move forward - I'm not staying back that much," he added.

"I warn my defender 'I'm not hanging back' and that I'm just going to keep attacking.

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

Unreal Feeling

In addition to the forward's six scores on his first game, Ireland has netted 8 in three appearances for the side, while Boyd hit five on his first appearance and Lescott, a defender by position, scored a hat-trick in one game as a striker.

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

One opponent, 38, who features on the flank for Collegiate OB, faced former Latics defender Maynor Figueroa on Sunday - and had to explain his young boy who Heskey was.

Figueroa has played at two World Cups for his country, in as well as playing in more than 200 top-flight matches.

"The news was spreading like wildfire they had all these former top-flight players," said the player.

"I felt I was a little starstruck facing him to be honest.

"Even Emile [Heskey] came on and he's got over 60 England appearances.

"Our side competed well for a good twenty mins but then we had a player dismissed and it was hard.

"We really have not ceased talking about it - I was calling my mum and sibling on the journey home.

"The opponents were all friendly, shaking our hands after the game - it was like facing a bunch of regular fellas.

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

'We'll Still Take the Title'

Andy Kirby coaches the opposition vets team, who won the Premier Tier title the previous campaign, together with his co-manager.

"Our team went 1-0 ahead and had a