'No cash machine in heaven' - Emma Hayes insists she didn't accept lucrative USWNT job for money as outgoing Chelsea boss sets sights on Olympic & World Cup glory

The charismatic 47-year-old will be severing ties with WSL employers in west London at the end of the 2023-24 campaign. At that point a move into international coaching will be made, with Hayes set to guide the United States – who flopped badly at the 2023 Women’s World Cup – into another bid for Olympic gold medal glory at the Paris Games.

Hayes has told Sky News of why financial rewards were no motivator for her when agreeing to take on a prominent role in America: “I get to go to an Olympics. I get to go to a World Cup. There is no cash machine in heaven. Money is not my motivator. However, I felt valued, and that was important. But for me, the memories will be the things I cherish the most. And hopefully some more medals.”

She added: “I've had a really amazing career and...I come from a household where you had to work hard and nothing was a given. So for me to be even in a position to lead a team to an Olympic medal is just what dreams are made of. And I intend to make the most of it.”

Hayes has won just about every major honour during her time at Chelsea, with only a Champions League crown missing. She could savour continental glory before walking away from the Blues, but tangible success has never been her biggest driver. Hayes added on leaving a legacy beyond entries on a glittering CV: “The joy is in the service of giving to something, not in the rewards of those things. Not medals, not achievements. And I'm just grateful I've been given the opportunity.”

Hayes will have spent 12 years with Chelsea by the time her tenure comes to a close. She has a star-studded side sat at the top of the WSL table, into the quarter-finals of the Champions League, quarter-final of the FA WSL Cup and fifth round of the FA Cup.