When it comes to her tenure as the USWNT boss, Hayes is, in her words, “fresh out of the packet”, but she is already thinking about her legacy, explaining that unifying the US talent pool under a women’s football development strategy is “going to be the biggest piece” of what she leaves behind.

It’s a significant week for Emma Hayes and the US Women’s National Team (USWNT) as they prepare to take on England in a friendly at Wembley Stadium on Saturday evening. The 48-year-old named a rather experimental 24-player squad for their friendlies against the Lionesses and the Netherlands over the next week.

After leading the U.S. to Olympic gold, the manager is back on home soil for a friendly against her native England. But her sights are set on a bigger prize.