Emma Hayes: Victorious, elated, tired

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As the teams walked out of the Old Trafford tunnel for the final day of the Women's Super League (WSL) season, Emma Hayes waved briefly to the 3,000 away fans congregated in the corner of the stadium.

While the day represented a moment of celebration for the departing Chelsea manager, there were undoubtedly nerves. She knew her team would likely need a win, and ideally by multiple goals, to secure a fifth consecutive WSL title in her final act before leaving to take charge of the U.S. Women's National Team.

Earlier in the season, Hayes showed a PowerPoint presentation to her squad. One slide showed the four trophies they were in contention for at that point: WSL, FA Cup, Continental Cup and Champions League. The following slide was empty.

There have been points this season at which her players must have felt like that slideshow was more of a jinx than it was motivation. After the Liverpool match on May 1, when they lost 4-3 and appeared to have handed the title to Manchester City, it seemed like Hayes did too. She declared it had slipped out of their grasp that night.

Four days later she was at Kingsmeadow declaring the opposite as she was honoured in her final home game as Chelsea manager. "Work drinks are cancelled, this is not f****** over," she said. Chelsea had just won 8-0 against Bristol City and the result, coupled with Manchester City's 2-1 loss to Arsenal, meant they had some control over their own destiny once more. It was going to be a shootout to the finish.

In hindsight maybe it was foolish to think Chelsea might not get it done. They have had plenty of experience when it comes to scoring goals to wrap up titles, having won their last three on the final day. But the fact it was against Manchester United, who had beaten them for the first time in the FA Cup semi-final in April, certainly left doubts at the back of the mind. They knew any slip-up would allow Manchester City, with whom they were level on points at the start of the day, the chance to overtake them.

Any concerns were quickly extinguished as Chelsea scored four in the first half. Colombia striker Mayra Ramirez, an absentee since the first leg of the Champions League semi-final against Barcelona, got two and added two assists. The build-up to what was expected to be the most exciting final day in the WSL in years came up against the brick wall of Chelsea's sheer determination to win.

It meant the party could start early, particularly after Germany midfielder Melanie Leupolz grabbed a fifth thanks to some particularly scrappy United defending at the start of the second half.

"Emma, what's the score?" came the chants from the away fans and Hayes dutifully turned to hold up her hand indicating five. Captain Millie Bright came over to give her a hug and a pat on the head during a stoppage in play. Bright was there at the very start of Hayes' Chelsea journey, although she was playing for Doncaster Rovers Belles in that first match in 2012. She has since gone on to make 233 appearances under Hayes for Chelsea.

The cheer for Fran Kirby when she came onto the pitch was almost as loud as the ones for Hayes. It was her final appearance for the club too and Hayes said afterwards she did not believe in fairytales for herself, but she did for Kirby, who capped off the win, and her Chelsea career, by adding a sixth with five minutes remaining.

When the final whistle went, the emotion was clear as Hayes turned and hugged her staff. She was pushed in front of the fans by Catarina Macario, as she had been on Wednesday at Tottenham. "You can tell she's the American," quipped Hayes afterwards. She was joined by her son Harry to celebrate with the trophy, and once again held up her hand to make a five to the fans, this time in celebration of her five consecutive WSL titles.

Emma Hayes and her son will move to the U.S. now her Chelsea career is over (Chloe Knott Danehouse/Getty Images)

After the match, though, the joy turned to reflection.

"I can't say it's been the most enjoyable, but definitely the toughest and, for that reason, it's probably the sweetest title win," she said.

"I'm so tired. I'm exhausted from 12 years — not just 90 minutes of football. I don't know how I've done it.

"I'm always so grateful for the players and what they've done for me and the club. I'm so relieved it's over."

Ever since the announcement of her exit in November, the spotlight has been on Hayes and her team. But she insisted the attention is not something she looks for, and it has been clear in the past couple of months it is something she has struggled with.

"I'm that person in the social group who sits in the corner," she said. "I'm not someone who's front and centre in my life. I don't live like that. I find some of this job really hard because I just want a quiet life.

"The job has taken its toll on me. I categorically cannot carry on. I am absolutely leaving at the right time. I don't have another drop to give it.

"I have such high standards for myself. Maintaining that is impossible. I can't keep up with the demands from players on a daily basis. I've found that to be gruelling this year."

Sir Alex Ferguson was watching on from the stands, ostensibly as a Manchester United representative, but he is someone who Hayes has spoken to regularly over the years. She is the closest embodiment of him in terms of British coaching in the past decade and the serendipity of coaching her final game at Old Trafford was not lost on her.

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"I spent time in the second half looking at the Sir Alex Ferguson Stand," she reflected. "The 27 years. All the trophies. The history of the stadium."

She was supposed to have a glass of red wine with him but missed it because she was celebrating with her players. But she was sure they would get another time to catch up.

And so to the question of whether this will be the last Chelsea see of her.

"If I'm to ever be around club football again, I don't suspect it would be in coaching," she said. "But when my tenure is done with the USA, if Chelsea ever need anything, they know what my number is."

(Top photo: Simon Stacpoole/Offside via Getty Images)