Chelsea Women: Emma Hayes says she ‘wouldn’t change a thing’

It has been a long farewell for Hayes since she announced her intention to leave in November.

She said that dealing with emotion is one of the most difficult parts of being a manager.

Hayes said: “I think staying on top of the emotion is something I’m really good at, but sometimes I really hate that.

“I think you have to do that a lot as a manager, take a lot of emotion out of things which is probably one of the reasons why I’m leaving this job.

“I actually miss ‘Emma’ and feeling like I don’t have to watch every word I say, or worry about what my body language looks like in every situation because of cameras on me.”

Hayes has presided over a trophy-laden era for Chelsea since taking charge in 2012.

The Blues boss added she is proud of the “journey” her team has gone on as they become one of the world’s best sides.

“Going from nothing, going from an unranked team that was close to relegation, that had no resources, had no facilities, no players that were professional,” she said.

“People always like to pick holes at the things you don’t do. What we’ve achieved here is remarkable, considering our starting point. We didn’t have a history in women’s football, we’re now considered one of the top sides in the world.”