Emma Hayes

Emma Hayes
OBE
Hayes with Chelsea in 2021
Personal information
Full name Emma Carol Hayes
Date of birth 18 October 1976
Place of birth Camden, London, England
Team information
Current team
 Chelsea (manager)
Managerial career
Years Team
2002 Long Island Lady Riders
2003–2005 Iona Gaels
2006–2008 Arsenal (assistant)
2008–2010 Chicago Red Stars
2012– Chelsea

Emma Carol Hayes (born 18 October 1976) is an English professional football manager who is the manager of FA WSL club Chelsea Women. She previously served as the head coach and director of football operations for Chicago Red Stars of Women's Professional Soccer in the United States from 2008 until 24 May 2010. She will depart Chelsea at the end of the 2023–24 Women's Super League season as she is set to become the new manager of the United States women's national team after the Chelsea season is over.

Early life

Hayes was born in Camden, London, and attended Parliament Hill School. She then studied at Liverpool Hope University, graduating in 1999.

Hayes joined Arsenal's academy, but an ankle injury while on a ski trip when she was 17 ended her playing career. With football ruled out, Hayes studied European studies, Spanish, and sociology at Liverpool Hope college and later read for a master's degree in intelligence and international affairs.

Career

Hayes's first coaching job was as the manager of the Long Island Lady Riders in 2002, the youngest coach in the league, where she was named the USL W-League coach of the season. She was appointed as the head women's soccer coach at Iona College in New Rochelle on 22 January 2003, where she remained until the end of the 2005 season. She was also the first team assistant coach and academy director for Arsenal Ladies between 2006 and 2008.

Hayes joined Chicago Red Stars as a manager on 15 May 2008. After she was sacked in 2010, she took up a technical director role at Western New York Flash and advised them on transfers, helping to create a team that won the 2011 Women's Professional Soccer championship. After another stint as a consultant for Washington Freedom, Hayes returned to London and worked for the family business, Covent Garden FX, a currency exchange.

During the mid-season 2012 Summer Olympics break on 14 August 2012, Chelsea hired Hayes as manager for the remainder of the 2012 season following the resignation of Matt Beard to become manager at Liverpool. Hayes managed her first match with Chelsea on 18 August 2012 in a 1–0 win at Doncaster Rovers Belles.

She was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2022 New Year Honours for services to association football.

2015 season

After narrowly missing out on the 2014 FA WSL 1 title on the final day, Hayes oversaw a huge squad overhaul that bore witness to the addition of several arrivals. Swedish shot-stopper Hedvig Lindahl and promising England centre-half Millie Bright were among the new recruits. Marija Banusic, Gemma Davison and Niamh Fahey also joined Chelsea, signing from Kristianstads, Liverpool Ladies and Arsenal Ladies respectively. Later on in the season, Hayes won the race for Reading & England forward Fran Kirby for a British record fee. With the agonising memories of final-day defeat still fresh in memory, Hayes guided her side to a historic league and cup double, edging the FA Cup Final thanks to a lone strike from Ji So-yun late on in the first half. Later on in the season, they avenged themselves by winning The FA WSL 1 title, after hammering Sunderland at home 4–0 to secure the trophy.

In the Women's Champions League, Hayes's side reached the last 16 after defeating Glasgow City. After their 2–1 home defeat by VfL Wolfsburg, Hayes criticised The Football Association for poor fixture scheduling, insisting that the competition is "geared to French, German and Swedish teams, and until we change that or listen to clubs like Chelsea we are always going to get knocked out in the early rounds".

2016–17 season

"[Hayes] built everything at Chelsea – from having the kit washed to having food, to having our own building, to having our own training and pitches. Now, it’s an absolute professional setup but everything's been a fight over the years to do that."

—Katie Chapman, who played under Hayes at three different clubs, credits her with building Chelsea from the ground-up.

Hayes' side finished second in The FA WSL 1, five points adrift of Champions Manchester City. The Blues also reached the FA Cup Final for the second consecutive year, losing 1–0 to a strong Arsenal side. Chelsea however won the FA WSL Spring Series, an interim edition of the FA WSL. Hayes led the side to first place, finishing on the same points as Manchester City but beating them on goal difference.

Hayes was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2016 Birthday Honours for services to football.

2017–18 season

Aided with addition of new players including Ramona Bachmann, Maren Mjelde, Erin Cuthbert and Crystal Dunn, Emma Hayes guided her side to finish top, in a reorganised FA WSL1, on goal difference.

The team also played the FA Cup competitions and reached the semi-final but were knocked out by Birmingham City in a penalty shoot-out.

2019–20 season

I enjoy representing a club I absolutely adore. To be in a position where we can continue to win on behalf of Chelsea is something I think I was born for.

—Hayes, reflecting on her success at Chelsea.

Hayes sought to rebuild the team at the conclusion of the 2017–18 season around new recruits Sam Kerr, Pernille Harder, Melanie Leupolz, Magda Eriksson, and Ann Katrin Berger, having moved on some key first-team players. The 2019–20 and 2020–21 season saw her team win back-to-back WSL titles in what were record breaking years, following a trophy-less 2018–19 campaign. Given Chelsea's dominance in the 2020–21 season in both Europe and England, some observers hailed them as one of the best teams ever. Hayes became the first woman manager to reach the Champions League final in 12 years. On 16 May, her Chelsea team, also playing their first-ever Champions League final, lost 4–0 to Barcelona Femeni.

Hayes won the 2020–21 FA WSL Manager of the Season award. Two months later, she signed a new long-term contract with Chelsea. In the same year, Hayes was inducted into the FA WSL Hall of Fame. Based on the 2019–20 season, on 18 January 2021, she was adjudged The Best FIFA Football Coach, beating off competition from Lluís Cortés and Sarina Wiegman.

2020–21 season

Hayes won FA WSL Manager of the Season for a third season running after her team won the FA Cup and the League domestic double, and finished runners-up to Man City in the League Cup. Based on the 2020–21 season, on 17 January 2022, she was adjudged The Best FIFA Football Coach.

2023–24 season

On 4 November 2023, Chelsea FC officially announced Hayes would depart after the ongoing season to “pursue a new opportunity outside of the WSL and club football”. Reports in the United States indicated that Hayes was in advanced talks to become the new manager of the United States women's national team. On 14 November 2023, Hayes was named Head Coach of the United States women's national team starting at the conclusion of the WSL season.

Personal life

In 2023, Hayes co-wrote a book, Kill The Unicorn, which was released in audio format narrated by Hayes herself. More a leadership manual than a memoir, the book draws on her experience of high-performance management to argue that the perception of a single great leader is a myth.

In 2018, Hayes was pregnant with twins, but lost one of them 28 weeks in. She gave birth to the surviving twin on 17 May 2018.

Hayes credits Vic Akers, former Arsenal W.F.C. manager under whom she was part of the backroom staff when they won an unprecedented quadruple in the 2006–07 season, for being a "massive" influence on her career. Speaking of her experience coaching in the United States she said though she was born in England, she was definitely made in America.

Chelsea forward Fran Kirby, who suffered from severe depression after the loss of her mother early in her life and from a career-threatening illness in her late 20s, is particularly close to Hayes. Speaking of Hayes's positive influence in her life she said, "Emma's been incredible. She's been my rock; the person who made sure I was protected from everything." Former Chelsea and England player, Karen Carney, also praised Hayes for being there when she felt the most vulnerable and isolated.

Managerial statistics

As of 20 December 2023

All competitive league, cup and international games are counted (not including the 2013 International Women's Club Championship).

Managerial record by team and tenure
Team From To Record Ref
G W D L Win %
Long Island Lady Riders 2002 4 August 2002 16 12 0 4 075.00
Iona Gaels 22 January 2003 28 October 2005 57 22 6 29 038.60
Chicago Red Stars 15 May 2008 24 May 2010 26 6 6 14 023.08
Chelsea 14 August 2012 Present 342 242 41 59 070.76
Career total 441 282 53 106 063.95

Managerial honours

Chelsea Women

Individual

Orders