Emma Hayes

While at Liverpool Hope, Hayes coached the women's football team from 1997 to 1999. In 1999, she moved back to London, helping develop youth players at Croydon and Crystal Palace. In 2002, she became the manager of the Long Island Lady Riders on Long Island, New York, becoming the youngest coach in the league. In the USL W-League, she led the team to finish first in the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference, and was named as the league's coach of the season. The team won their conference semi-final match 3–1 against the New York Magic, before losing 4–2 in the conference championship against the Boston Renegades. She was appointed as the head coach for the Iona Gaels women's team, of Iona College in New Rochelle, New York, on 22 January 2003, where she remained until the end of the 2005 season. She returned to England to become the assistant first team coach for Arsenal Ladies over 3 seasons between 2005 and 2008, during which time the team won 11 major trophies including three Women's Premier League titles, three FA Women's Cups and the UEFA Women's Cup. At the same time, she was also the club's Academy director, overseeing the development of young players. Hayes joined the Chicago Red Stars of Women's Professional Soccer 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…

Hayes was born in Camden, London, and attended Parliament Hill School. She played for Arsenal's academy as a midfielder from 1988 to 1996, but an ankle injury while on a ski trip when she was 17 ultimately ended her playing career. With football ruled out, Hayes studied European studies, Spanish, and sociology at Liverpool Hope University College and later read for a master's degree in intelligence and international affairs.

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." In 2023, Hayes co-wrote a book, Kill The Unicorn, which discusses high-performance management and argues that the perception of a single great leader is a myth. 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. Hayes was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2016 Birthday Honours, and was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2022 New Year Honours, both for services to association football. She is a Tottenham Hotspur fan.

Chelsea Women

FA Women's Super League: 2015, 2017–18, 2019–20, 2020–21, 2021–22, 2022–23, 2023–24 (7) FA WSL Spring Series: 2017 Women's FA Cup: 2014–15, 2017–18, 2020–21, 2021–22, 2022–23 (5) FA Women's League Cup: 2019–20, 2020–21(2) Women's FA Community Shield: 2020 UEFA Women’s Champions League runner up: 2020–21 United States

Summer Olympic Games gold medal: 2024 Individual

FA WSL Manager of the Season: 2015, 2018, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 LMA WSL Manager of the Season: 2017–18, 2019–20, 2020–21, 2021–22, 2022–23 FA WSL Manager of the Month: October 2019, January 2020, February 2020, January 2021, March 2022, November 2022, January 2024 Women's Super League Hall of Fame: 2021 The Best FIFA Football Coach: 2021 FWA Tribute Award: 2024 Women's Johan Cruyff Trophy: 2024 IFFHS World's Best Woman National Coach: 2024 PFA Merit Award: 2025 Orders

Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE): 2022 Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE): 2016