Emma Hayes has been shortlisted for manager of the year in the London Football Awards and is the only female manager and manager from the women’s game to be represented in the nomination pool.
The Chelsea boss sees herself in impressive company with Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta, Richie Wellens at Leyton Orient, Brentford manager Thomas Frank and Marco Silva at Fulham all nominated for the title.
Hayes' inclusion arrives at a time when a lack of women’s coaches in the top flight of the women’s football has seized headlines.
With the departure of Hope Powell from Brighton & Hove Albion at the end of October following her side’s 8-0 thrashing by Tottenham Hotspur, the number of female managers dropped to just four out of 12, with Chelsea’s Hayes, Aston Villa’s Carla Ward, Tottenham’s Rehanne Skinner and Reading’s Kelly Chambers.
Only Hayes and Ward hold managerial positions within the league’s top six teams.
In January, Arsenal head coach Jonas Eidevall called out the glaring lack of females beyond just the coaching staff, pointing to the absence of females in technical staff and other areas within the men’s and women’s game. Eidevall went on to dub the dearth “the most under-tapped resource in professional football”.
Hayes made headlines in 2021 when she was linked to a vacancy at men's side AFC Wimbledon and subsequently called suggestions that leaving her Chelsea post would represent a step up in her career "insulting" and the League One club could "absolutely not" afford her.
Hayes previously picked up the Outstanding Contribution to London Football prize at last year's awards. The 46-year-old temporarily stepped down from management earlier in the season to recover from an emergency hysterectomy amid an ongoing battle with endometriosis. Hayes eventually returned to the touchline after six matches absent.
The Blues’ Women’s team are well represented throughout the award nominations and definitively outshine their male counterparts, who saw only Kepa Arrizabalaga nominated in the goalkeeper of the year category, which teammate Edouard Mendy collected last year.
Chelsea's Lauren James is up for Women’s Young Player of the Year courtesy of a sensational year relished by the 21-year-old Lioness.
Meanwhile, last year's Women's Player of the Year Sam Kerr is in contention to reclaim the title, alongside Millie Bright, Arsenal duo Beth Mead and Kim Little and Dagny Brynjarsdottir of West Ham United.
The slew of Chelsea nominations is testament to the seemingly unassailable staying power of Emma Hayes' side, who are bidding to claim their fourth consecutive WSL title while continuing to fight on all competitive fronts.
Chelsea current sit second in the WSL table, behind leaders Manchester United on goal difference. The Blues travel to Brisbane Road on Saturday for a London derby against Spurs. Kick-off is at 12:30pm.
The 2023 London Football Awards will be held at the Roundhouse on Monday, March 13.
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