As a former boyband member and international rugby player, Mikey Cobban and Duncan Bell are well-versed in the pressures and expectations involved of performing in front of large, demanding crowds.
But the responsibility of representing their beloved Bristol City and Bristol Rovers in the inaugural EFL Football Manager Cup created nerves each manager had never experienced before.
Selected by their respective clubs to play a one-off game on the fiendishly popular and addictive management sim, Mikey was competing as City and Duncan as Rovers, with the match taking place on Thursday night, watched by a crowd in excess of 1,000, across streaming platforms.
Mikey's City proved the winners, claiming a 3-1 victory at the Mem through goals from Kasey Palmer, Han-Noah Massengo and substitute Famara Diedhiou while the Gas hit back via Josh Ginnelly, but had to play the majority of the second half with 10 men following Josh Barrett's red card.
"To say I was nervous would be an understatement," Mikey said. "When the club chose me, it wasn't a popular decision on social media - and the stick I was getting only added to it all
"I was just thinking the whole time, 'I cannot lose, I cannot lose'. I had my mum and all my friends and family watching plus all the other City and Rovers fans.
"I usually play Football Manager on my phone and rarely pick City as I'll choose a lower league team. Plus the full version on the laptop has loads more features so I was out my comfort zone a bit."
Such were Mikey's nerves when selecting his team - with a real conundrum over who to play in central midfield - he forgot to set up tactical roles for each individual player.
Eventually plumping for a 4-2-3-1 with Nahki Wells in attack, Kasey Palmer in behind and Han-Noah Massengo and Adam Nagy as holding midfielders.
"I was delighted when that first goal went in, the nerves started to lift," he added. "It was always my plan to bring a second striker off the bench and Diedhiou ended up scoring.
"When that third went in, I can tell, you I was jumping up and down the room! Mainly because the red card had only added to the pressure, I just couldn't lose it from that position!"
The draw for the second round takes place this weekend, with the field trimmed from 54 to 32, but for former Bath and Sale Sharks hooker Duncan it was a case of reflecting what might have been, without the sending off of Barrett.
He tweeted: "I apologise to all the Bristol Rovers fans. We gave it our all. Josh Barrett a little more so... I tender my resignation with immediate effect."
