Emma Hayes has crafted a lasting legacy that has changed women's football in England but her exit from Chelsea after more than a decade will leave a gaping hole across the wider WSL.
Chelsea's emphatic 6-0 win over Aston Villa last weekend was soon overshadowed by the shock news afterwards the Blues' formidable manager would be departing the club come the summer, having been at the helm since 2012.
As the longest serving WSL manager, the 47-year-old has laid down an exceptional record of success, with six WSL titles (plus the 2017 Spring Series), five FA Cups and two league cups.
But her legacy is one that began in a time when women's football was in its infancy, meaning not only has she been a figurehead for Chelsea but a spokesperson for the sport as a whole.
Her exit from the WSL will come at the end of the season and 90min understands she is set to take up post with the United States Women's National team, arguably the biggest job there is.
Trailblazer for the women's game
Hayes has a longstanding history with domestic women's football in both the United Kingdom and United States. Before becoming the innovative leader of Chelsea, she was working tirelessly as the game was beginning to grow, pioneering for change well before the WSL was professional.
Taking charge of Chelsea when women's football was still usually an afterthought, with minimal funding and most players working other jobs to support themselves financially, Hayes saw firsthand the obstacles that stood against the game and has helped tear them down.
Hayes spent the first part of her coaching career in America, with Long Island Lady Riders from 2001 to 2003, before being women's head coach at Iona College until 2006. Returning to the UK, she took up post as assistant coach and academy director at Arsenal Ladies between 2006 and 2008. It was with the Gunners where Hayes got her first taste of winning, securing the historic quadruple, and seeing the projection that Arsenal were intending to achieve. That lit a fire in her to ensure women's football would grow into a sport to rival the success of the men.
Hayes' 22-year coaching career has developed her skills as one of the most driven managers, opting for a 'win first' mentality that encouraged players to push themselves.
Her close relationship with players was obvious after the 2023 World Cup final, where Chelsea skipper Millie Bright rushed to hug her club manager after England's defeat. Bright revealed that Hayes is a big mentor on mental health and the environment she has made at Chelsea is one that supports players, ensuring an atmosphere where the manager can get the best out of the team.
The emphasis she places on player development, has created one of the deepest and most feared squads in Europe. As such, squad management is a skill she has developed over time.
Because of her pioneering success in the women's game, Hayes has been linked with vacancies in men's football under the assumption that it would be seen as a step up. But none of the roles have been at a high level or were never enough to convince her to leave Chelsea.
Yet the USWNT head coach vacancy is the one that appears to have turned her head.
Serial winner but the Champions League would complete it
Under Hayes, Chelsea have become one of the most recognisable, lucrative and also feared women's football teams anywhere in Europe.
Amassing six league titles - winning the last four back to back - alongside five FA Cups, two league cups and a Community Shield, Hayes has won it all domestically. But the Champions League trophy is the only one that continued to elude her.
Having been an assistant coach at Arsenal for their 2007 triumph in what was then known as the UEFA Women's Cup, the closest Chelsea have been to glory was a heavy defeat in the 2021 final at the hands of Barcelona. The Blues have also been to the semi-finals on three other occasions.
Maybe now, with the knowledge that the adored leader only has one shot left to become a champion of Europe, this is the perfect time to end her career with Chelsea on the highest of highs.
United States job is the best next step for Hayes
Hayes, the most decorated manager in the WSL, is close to being confirmed as USWNT head coach. The position has been vacant since Vlatko Andonovski's resignation in August after a shock early exit from the World Cup - 90min was first to break the news of his impending departure.
It is the most natural and only real way that Hayes can step up from Chelsea. Winning everything domestically to then taking over the world's top-ranked women's international team provides the chance to win on a whole new level. Achieving that would certainly mark her as the best football manager anywhere in the world, women's or men's.
The United States won back-to-back World Cups in 2015 and 2019 to take their overall tally to four, but suffered a shock last 16 exit in in 2023, their worst performance on the global stage
Since reports circulated of the possible appointment, talks of equal pay between Hayes and US men's manager, Gregg Berhalter, have come to light, making the move a more lucrative offer for the English coach. The United States has been investing in international football for a while and, like Chelsea, ensure they are at the forefront of development in their respective area.
A name synonymous with success like Hayes brings immediate attention, but the USWNT job does not come without drawbacks. She would essentially be walking into the lion's den, with the American ranks no stranger to controversy, national scandals and pay disputes.
With a proven track record as a winner, it makes Hayes an attractive candidate and the desire to face new challenges after being so dominant in the WSL is understandable. Her five-year-old son, Harry, is also still at an age where a big move across the pond would hardly interfere with his education or development, making it an appointment that could work for her family.
Hayes has always liked America, spending the early days of her managerial career there and most notably, leading Chicago Red Stars from 2008. Although, after only winning 23% of 26 games she was sacked in 2010, but did at least draft future superstar Megan Rapinoe.
What Hayes' exit means for the WSL
Ultimately, Hayes is responsible for a stream of elite players coming into the WSL as other clubs looked to compete with her dominance, eventually heightening both the competitiveness and professionalism of the wider league as a result.
Without Hayes, the WSL will certainly take a knock. Not only does the division lose a standout character, but a figurehead that has set standards and fought to ensure that Chelsea paved the way which the rest then followed.
She has always been the manager who would touch uncomfortable topics, talk analysis with the press and divulge her secrets in order to better the game. The One Team, One Dream documentary on DAZN was one of the first times a WSL team was showcased in such a detailed way, delving into things that went, the players' relationships with Hayes and the inners workings of a manager and her team behind closed doors, the like of which has been done for years in the men's game.
Arsenal manager Jonas Eidevall joked that he and other managers will try to make "life in the WSL as difficult and unpleasant for her as possible" until her departure but that he will look forward to being able to give Hayes a call and talk football at the end of the season. It is reactions like this that prove just how insightful she is and how much the WSL will miss her.
"She's left a legacy in women's football in England and I think we all strive to do that in our careers. Not only has she won, she's able to build teams over time," Manchester United counterpart Marc Skinner, whose side have never beaten Chelsea, reflected. "She's turned her players into a machine and I have admiration for what she has achieved as a coach."
The attraction of Chelsea is arguably so high due to having Hayes at the forefront. Players signed with the promise of trophies under her watchful eye and she has drawn stars in their numbers to the WSL. But it begs the question of whether her upcoming absence could see them now depart too.
Sam Kerr, the prolific Australian striker, remains one of the most high profile transfers into the WSL. With rumours previously circulating about a possible departure back to the United States, Kerr spoke last season about a desire to sign a new contract - her current deal expires in the coming summer. But with Hayes leaving, the 30-year-old star striker could be right behind her.
Who now replaces Hayes at Chelsea?
Hayes leaves massive shoes to fill at Chelsea, with the club left until summer to appoint another manager. But no candidate boasts as many accolades or success as their departing boss.
Chlesea cannot look internally either. In her audiobook, Kill the Unicorn, Hayes delved into her time at Chicago Red Stars where she was let go after two years. She told assistant Denise Reddy to take the full-time position. Instead, Reddy quit that day and packed up her desk to follow Hayes to the WSL.
Reddy is again likely to follow Hayes back to America next year, with the United States setup already outlining that they would want to secure the signatures of the pair.
But we could see a former member of the United States coaching staff head to the WSL. Laura Harvey's name has been thrown into the mix. The former Arsenal boss has been with OL Reign since 2021 but was previously assistant coach for the USWNT.
Taking someone with experience of international football would make a great deal of sense for Chelsea given their diverse player profile. Sarina Wiegman would be an obvious target but the FA have no plans to release the Euro 2022-winning manager before her contract expires in 2025.
Lluis Cortes is another name that could be in contention after winning the treble with Barcelona in 2021. Despite winning the historic accolade, reports emerged that several players had requested his sacking and he decided to resign from his role. He took up post leading the Ukraine's women's national team until 2023 but has remained without a job since the summer.
Within the WSL, eyes will be on the likes of Willie Kirk and Robert Vilahamn who have so far been doing great things with Leicester City and Tottenham Hotspur respectively and Chelsea could look to poach either of them ahead of the 2024/25 season.
Regardless of who Chelsea choose, they face filling in the shoes of a manager with a monumental career behind her and no one will find it easy to match the success that Hayes has enjoyed.
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This article was originally published on 90min as Emma Hayes: Her legacy & remarkable career at Chelsea.
