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How do you enhance a stellar veteran side that have claimed consecutive championships, featuring a double triumph with 30 victories from 32 games?

Sign a group of former professionals that have performed at the top level of club and global soccer as you pursue further trophies.

One Manchester club has an non-professional vets squad with 9 ex- Premier League players in their active roster.

222 Premier League Goals, 325 International Appearances

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

Their squad list this season includes nine ex- Premier League players, with a collective 1,801 top-flight matches.

The high-profile team also boasts 222 top division goals and 325 international caps.

They feature one forward, who netted 37 goals in over 100 appearances for his former club after moving to them for £9m from German league club SC Freiburg in January 2012.

He made his debut for the team in their most recent home match versus reigning title holders Collegiate Old Boys and scored all six goals in a six-two victory - featuring a 32-minute first-half triple.

The team for this campaign also includes former pros such as England and Liverpool striker Emile Heskey, Hull City and Burnley FC midfielder George Boyd, Toffees striker Oumar Niasse, Wigan Athletic defender 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 players have claimed 15 major honors and moved for combined transfer sums of approximately £123 million.

Famous Names and Global Stars

Stephen Ireland started playing for the side in pre-season this summer through good friend and current Wythenshawe player Blake Norton, and the ex- Republic of Ireland player then invited additional ex-pros, who all play in a midweek nine-a-side game, to participate.

Former Senegal forward Oumar Niasse, who scored 12 goals in 65 Premier League matches for Everton and still goes to their matches at Goodison Park, also had his debut against the opposition - who are located in the city and use an Blue training kit as their strip.

"A friend Stephen said 'come and have a game, it's good fun'," said the striker.

"After that he informed me we were facing a team from Liverpool and the shock I had when I saw them wearing Blue shirts - I thought this is wrong for me!

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

"Those people who turn up and watch are pleased and to make a moment if they watch us competing there and to pose us questions - it's more like the pleasure of us having somewhere we can enjoy football, with structure of course."

Such is the squad depth at Wythenshawe, he had his debut at defender.

"It's a little unusual but then, I love running and just go inside - 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 continue running.

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

Unreal Feeling

Along with the forward's six scores on his first game, Ireland has scored 8 in 3 games for Wythenshawe, while Boyd hit 5 on his debut match and Joleon Lescott, a centre-half by trade, notched a hat-trick in one match up front.

Wythenshawe are leading of the Premier Tier with 3 victories from 3 and a GD of +19.

Paul Barrow, 38, who features on the wing for Collegiate OB, came up against former Wigan full-back Maynor Figueroa on the weekend - and had to explain his young boy who Emile Heskey was.

He has played at two World Cups for his country, in addition to playing in over 200 top-flight games.

"The news was spreading like wildfire they had these former top-flight stars," remarked the player.

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

"Also Emile [Heskey] got on and he's has over 60 English appearances.

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

"We literally haven't stopped chatting about it - I was phoning my mother and brother on the way home.

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

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

'We'll Still Win the League'

Andy Kirby manages the opposition vets side, who won the Top Tier championship last season, along with his co-manager.

"We went one-nil up and had a