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How can you improve a outstanding veteran side who have claimed consecutive championships, featuring a league-cup double with thirty wins from thirty-two games?

Recruit a raft of former professionals that have played at the elite tier of club football and global soccer as you target more honors.

A Greater Manchester club has an amateur veterans squad with nine ex- top-flight players in their present squad.

222 Premier League Scores, 325 International Caps

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

The squad list this campaign includes 9 former top-flight players, with a total nearly 1,800 top-flight matches.

The star-studded squad also includes over 220 Premier League goals and 325 international caps.

They include one forward, who notched thirty-seven goals in 117 games for his former club after moving to them for £9m from Bundesliga side SC Freiburg in January 2012.

He had his first appearance for Wythenshawe in their most recent home game against reigning champions Collegiate Old Boys and netted every one of the six scores in a six-two win - featuring a 32-minute first-half hat-trick.

The roster for this season also includes ex- pros such as England and Liverpool striker 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 victors Joleon Lescott and Danny Drinkwater.

Together, the ex- top-flight players have claimed 15 significant honors and moved for combined transfer sums of approximately £123 million.

Famous Figures and International Stars

Stephen Ireland started playing for the team in pre-season this summer through close mate and current Wythenshawe player Blake Norton, and the former Republic of Ireland midfielder then asked other ex-pros, who all play in a midweek small-sided match, to join in.

Ex- Senegalese striker Niasse, who netted 12 scores in 65 top-flight matches for the Toffees and still attends their home games, also had his first appearance against the opposition - who are based in the city and wear an Blue training kit as their strip.

"My friend Stephen Ireland told me 'join and play, it's enjoyable'," said the striker.

"Then he told me we were playing a team from Liverpool and the shock I had when I noticed them sporting Everton kits - I thought this is wrong for me!

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

"The spectators who turn up and watch are happy and to give someone's moment if they see us competing there and to ask us queries - it's more like the pleasure of us getting a place we can play, with structure of course."

So great is the strength in depth at the club, he made his first game at full-back.

"It's a bit unusual but then, I enjoy running and just move forward - I'm not defending that much," he said.

"I warn my defender 'I'm not staying' and that I'm just going to continue running.

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

Unreal Scenario

In addition to Cisse's 6 scores on his first game, Stephen Ireland has scored 8 in three appearances for the side, while George Boyd hit five on his debut match and Lescott, a defender by trade, notched a hat-trick in one match up front.

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

One opponent, thirty-eight, who plays on the flank for Collegiate OB, came up against ex- Latics full-back Figueroa on the weekend - and had to explain his young boy who Emile Heskey was.

Figueroa has played at two global tournaments for his country, in as well as playing in more than 200 Premier League games.

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

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

"Also Heskey got on and he's got 60-odd English appearances.

"We competed well for a solid twenty mins but then we had a man dismissed and it was tough.

"We literally have not ceased talking about it - I was phoning my mother and brother on the way home.

"The opponents were all really nice, shaking our hands after the match - it was like playing a group of normal guys.

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

'We'll Still Take the Title'

Andy Kirby coaches the Collegiate veterans side, who secured the Top Division title last season, along with Paul Maguire.

"We went 1-0 ahead and had a