Emma Hayes says she 'sees so much of herself' in Man Utd legend Sir Alex Ferguson

Emma Hayes has said that she 'sees so much of herself' in legendary Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson.

Hayes left her role as Chelsea boss at the end of last season to take charge of the United States women's national team.

She guided her new team to a gold medal at the 2024 Olympics, where the USWNT defeated Spain in the final.

Hayes is the most successful manager in the history of the Women's Super League - and the second most successful of all time - having won seven league titles.

The 47-year-old is also a five-time Women's FA Cup winner.

She guided Chelsea to the final of the 2021 Women's Champions League, but they lost 4-0 to the all-conquering Barcelona side.

In a new interview with The Telegraph, Hayes revealed that Ferguson was the first person to contact her via text after her USWNT team won gold in Paris - and added that she sees 'so much of herself' in the United legend.

She said: "I see so much of myself in him. His was the first text I received when we won gold."

Hayes has previously shared details of conversations she has had with Ferguson, with the pair sharing a close friendship.

After winning her final WSL title with Chelsea at the end of last season, Hayes revealed that the 13-time Premier League winner gave her a warning from experience about leaving the role and starting afresh.

Getty

She told Optus Sport: "It's really tough when you're a manager and you tell your team you're departing.

"I'm going to have a glass of wine with Sir Alex Ferguson in a minute, and he warned me about this. It's the hardest thing in the world to do.

"Chelsea means everything. They're my world. Uncoupling will be a challenge, but I've got the Olympics to look forward to.

"I'll put all my energy into USA as of Monday morning because that's when I start the job."