Top 10 Chelsea Women players of the Emma Hayes era

7. Drew Spence

This past summer saw the departure of not just one, but two legends of the club. The Jamaican international, Drew Spence contributed more than 10 years of her football career to the west London side.

Spence came from the Centre of Excellence and left the Blues for Tottenham having been the longest-serving player. She joined Chelsea Women in 2008, making her debut at the senior level in 2009, and assisted in the Blues’ all 11 major trophies.

Spence was everything Chelsea Women has been about since Hayes arrived, lifting the Blues from becoming an amateur side to one of the best in all of Europe. As one of the most consistent starters in the central midfield, Spence made a staggering 238 appearances in blue, scoring 50 goals during those matches. She may not have won the most individual awards during her time at Chelsea, but Spence was the perfect example of selflessness and team play.

She played 1,000 minutes once in her final four seasons in blue, but when Hayes called upon Spence for a start in the midfield, she always knew what she was going to get. The Jamaican’s smile on and off the pitch, and emotion when she finally left for the north London side show just how much Chelsea meant to her.

Hayes got to see Spence grow into a player that has now become one of the most vital pieces to the Jamaican women’s national team. It is hard to look past Spence now in a Spurs kit, but out of all the players that have donned a CFC kit since Hayes arrived, she may have been the player that wore it with the most pride.