Top 10 Chelsea Women players of the Emma Hayes era
This season for the Chelsea Women has been one filled with milestones. From the club’s 30th anniversary to Emma Hayes’ 10th year at the club, the Blues hope to conclude this historic season with lots of silverware.
Given that this season is so significant, let us take a look at the club’s top-ten players of the Emma Hayes era. For the Blues, it has not always been about winning, but for fans who have only jumped on the Chelsea Women bandwagon during the past few seasons, lifting trophies seemed to be inevitable as the end of the campaign neared.
The 50-year FA ban for women in the English game prevented some of the best footballers from demonstrating their true abilities on the national stage. 1971 marked the year that women began to challenge the ban, and after years the glory years began to come to a close, Chelsea Women was formed officially, as a project run by Tony Farmer.
We recognize the significance that the past players before Hayes’ time played in the club’s advancement. This list is a celebration of the acceptance of women at Chelsea, paying homage to the best the club has seen since 2012 between the white lines.
Before we kick off the list at No. 10, let us lay down some ground rules and clarifications:
This list features players not only for their impact on the pitch and the quality of the player but also for what they did to help the club move forward to becoming what it is today.
The goal is to highlight players not only from the current team but individuals that have contributed at a high level for Chelsea Women in all 10 years of the Hayes era.
Pernille Harder, Sophie Ingle, Hannah Blundell, Karen Carney, Claire Rafferty, Gilly Flaherty, and Maren Mjelde have all contributed greatly to this club and barely missed this list as of right now.