Emma Hayes stepping away from Chelsea leaves a gaping hole in women's football
It has long been hard to imagine Chelsea without Emma Hayes and vice versa.
At the end of the season she will leave the club she has spent 11 years building to take up the role as manager of the United States national team.
She is leaving her home for the biggest job in women’s football. It is an opportunity that does not come around often and one she could not turn down - but those facts did not make the news of her departure any less shocking.
Hayes’ players did not find out until after their 6-0 victory over Aston Villa on Saturday and were just as surprised as her staff members.
One can only imagine how sombre that bus journey home to London must have been. Many of the players and backroom staff at Chelsea are there because of Hayes.
In her 11 years, she has amassed 15 trophies. But she has achieved more than just success on the pitch.
English women’s football is indebted to Hayes and the work she has done to raise the profile of the game. She has driven standards, spoken openly and passionately about a number of issues and has never shied away from speaking her mind.
She is also more than just a manager. Hayes has acted as a mother figure to several players that have worn the Blue shirt. Just ask Fran Kirby, Millie Bright or Lauren James. They are just a few of the individuals Hayes has guided and nurtured over the years.
Hayes’ departure will leave a gaping hole in the WSL. That Manchester City boss Gareth Taylor, who joined the club in 2020, is the next longest serving WSL manager, speaks volumes. Longevity is rare and Hayes was in a league of her own.
There may be some who will question how the Football Association could allow England’s best female manager to join a rival nation. The key issue is timing. The Lionesses
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