Revealed: How Emma Hayes convinced Lindsey Horan that she is ‘perfect’ to lead USWNT into an exciting new era

After flopping at the 2023 Women’s World Cup, it became clear that a change of leadership was required in a star-studded United States camp. Vlatko Andonovski was relieved of his coaching duties, with the reins handed to Twila Kilgore on an interim basis – and she has delivered W Gold Cup glory in 2024.

Current Chelsea boss Hayes will, however, be taking charge when the 2023-24 WSL season comes to a close and Horan has told FIFA’s official website of the first impression that the proven winner has made on the USWNT squad: “I always want to see how a coach speaks to the team. How they can gain integration right away and get the players listening. That's exactly what happened. She came in and you saw a real leader and a real coach – and someone who also cared a lot. You want to see the players listening and, with Emma, you sit up in your seat because you're so intrigued and inspired. That's a very cool thing to have in a room.”

Horan, who is captain of her country, added on how Hayes can help the United States to evolve: “She’ll bring experience. She's very knowledgeable on what the trends are in the game and what football is like in Europe. She sees the potential in this team. I'm sure we’ll assess what we need to change and what to keep the same to maintain that US mentality. We need to continue to learn and grow. Everyone can see where women's football is headed – so many teams have improved so much. It's such a cool thing. We have four stars on our jersey, we’ve won numerous trophies and been on top, but we need to grind and get better, because the rest of the world is getting better. I think Emma is the perfect person for this job.”

Hayes’ first task will be to ready the USWNT for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, with it up to her to ensure that a bid for gold medal glory can be staged on French soil. Success in that competition has proved elusive since 2012.