This was a series I ideated in my first few weeks at Manchester City.
It’s a spin on the classic ‘Dream Team’ feature that’s been around for many years in football circles.
But, instead of ex-players picking their most treasured teammates, here you have heroes from opposing teams picking their most formidable opponents.
What I liked about this series was the alternative point of view it offered – you got to find out who legendary players from other clubs rated from your own team.
Another advantage I saw with this series was evergreen – you could never really run out of former stars from other clubs to interview.
What I did was identify a selection of ex-players from opposition clubs, reach out to them on social media and then agree an interview date and time.
I then launched their ‘My City Nightmare XI’ in the run-up to City’s match against that club and included rich media throughout each article.
I also created social-first graphics so each edition could be promoted across all digital channels.
I spoke to a wide selection of star names including Martin O’Neill (Nottingham Forest), Neil Lennon (Leicester City), Emile Heskey (Liverpool) and Stiliyan Petrov (Aston Villa).
Check out all selections of My City Nightmare XI.
Paul Brown 