Inside Emma Hayes' final pre-match press conference as parting shot sums up Chelsea manager

With a quick nod to the assembled media, Emma Hayes drained the last of her coffee and walked out of Cobham's press conference suite for the final time as Chelsea manager.

It was a milestone day for the Blues boss in more ways than one. "It's also my son's sixth birthday today," she said with a smile - a reminder, perhaps, that a desire to spend more time with family is one of the chief motivators behind her impending move into national team management.

Before she leaves west London to take charge of the US Women's national team, however, there is the small matter of winning the Women's Super League (WSL) title to attend to. Chelsea are currently in pole position to lift the trophy but, for the fourth straight year, they will only discover their fate on the final day.

With Hayes' side level on points with challengers Manchester City, it looks likely that it will come down to goal difference to determine who will be crowned champions. The Blues have a two-goal buffer in that department, although it is anyone's guess whether that cushion will be significant enough to yield the seventh league title of Hayes' trophy-laden tenure.

"We're accustomed to being in this position," the Chelsea boss said ahead of her team's trip to face Manchester United at Old Trafford. "Everybody knows what's at stake but we've had a lot of winning, so I don't really think the pressure is on us. Of course, I'd love to leave with another title but it definitely won't define my tenure here. We've always had the resilience to be at the top end come the business end of the season."

Hayes is right: whatever happens this weekend, she will depart Chelsea as an undisputed club legend, having left an indelible mark on the women's game. Over the past 12 years, her image has become synonymous with the WSL and with the Blues' standing as an elite European force.

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Her pedigree is such that, when it was confirmed she was leaving England, even the great Sir Alex Ferguson reached out to wish her well. "He calls me from time to time so I wasn't surprised," she revealed in November.

"Anything he says to me I always take with such pride. He is a legend of the game and someone whose opinion I value and he has a love of America.

"We talked a little bit about that, a little bit about legacy, a little bit about leaving at the top. So there were wise words from him. I'm sure it won't be the last phone call I get from him this season."

Indeed, there are many parallels to be drawn between Hayes and the former Manchester United man. Both have built dynasties and developed a unique rapport with their respective fanbases. And the Chelsea boss will hope she can emulate Ferguson again this weekend by signing off with some silverware.

While Hayes devoted part of her press conference to previewing Saturday's game, though, it was mostly an opportunity for reflection. "I had my last drive into work today, my office is already cleared out, it's my last coaching session with a group of people who I have built strong bonds with," she said.

"I wouldn't change a single thing and I am so delighted to get one more training session with my team and one more game and I know for sure we're going to enjoy it."

Hayes also offered a rare insight into her own psyche after a season that has seen her come under fire for her comments on player-to-player relationships and male aggression, amongst other things.

"I think staying on top of the emotion is something I'm really good at, but sometimes I really hate that," she admitted. "I think you have to do that a lot as a manager, take a lot of emotion out of things which is probably one of the reasons why I'm leaving this job.

"I actually miss 'Emma' and feeling like I don't have to watch every word I say, or worry about what my body language looks like in every situation because of cameras on me."

For years, Hayes has been revered for speaking her mind, discussing topics like the menopause and gynaecological healthcare with the same candour she employs when talking about matters on the pitch.

In recent times, however, being unabashedly herself has landed Hayes in hot water and it is clear that a desire to escape the glare of the English media spotlight has played a part in her decision to move Stateside. When the dust has settled, though, her legacy will not be sullied by these fleeting flashes of acrimony.

Instead, she will remembered as someone who delivered success on a scale never seen before in the domestic women's game and as a leader whose unflinching refusal to accept anything less than the best for and from her players has changed the sport forever.

Even on Friday, a mere 31 hours before she sails off into the sunset, Hayes couldn't resist demanding more of the club she has called home for the past 12 years. "When I see Arsenal announce that they've got 11 home games at the Emirates, this should be happening here," she said. "I want to see us playing at Stamford Bridge sold out every week. I want the girls to have a new facility, I want that to continue to be upgraded.

"I want them to continue to have a voice. I want them to put the legacy into the walls but through the eyes of players not mine, I want them to be heard. I want them to never stop asking what we can do better. Do it again, but do it with class and keep it into the Chelsea fanbase with the way that they have."

It was a perfect, poignant encapsulation of Hayes the person, as well as the manager. Passionate, outspoken and intractably honest, her status as one of English football's most iconic figures is secured.