Emma Hayes said she "sees so much of herself" in legendary Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson.
Hayes, who left her role at Chelsea at the end of last season, took charge of the United States women's national team in May, with her first test being the Paris Olympics.
She guided the USWNT to their fifth gold medal in the French capital, defeating Brazil 1-0 in the final thanks to Mallory Swanson's 57th minute goal.
After the triumph, Hayes revealed that Ferguson was the first person to congratulate her on the win, going on to say she sees similarities between herself and the Scot.
“I see so much of myself in him. His was the first text I received when we won gold," Hayes said in an interview with The Telegraph.
Hayes spent the early part of her coaching career in the United States, managing the Long Island Lady Riders, Iona Gaels and Chicago Red Stars before her move back to England in 2012.
But her success with the USWNT in Paris is something she had dreamed about growing up in London, a triumph that still strikes an emotional chord a month later.
“I still get a lump in my throat thinking about it,” Hayes says of winning at the Olympics.
“I fill up every time. I have dreamt about it. I have played that out on the pitches by the flats in Camden."
During her time with Chelsea, Hayes won 16 major honours, including the Women's Super League title for the last five consecutive seasons.
The 47-year-old oversaw 367 matches for the Blues, winning 261 (D42 L64), ending her 12-year stint at the club with a win percentage of 71.12%.
She also came close to winning the Women's Champions League in the 2020-21 season, with Chelsea well beaten in the showpiece match by Barcelona.
Despite her success in SW3, Hayes welcomed the change in scenery but understood her success with the Blues put her in a pressurised position.
“I was happy for my time at Chelsea to come to an end,” Hayes said.
“Pressure comes with the position I am in and certainly comes with the winning history I have. I accept that.
“But I have enjoyed feeling joyful again.
"I didn’t realise how debilitating grief is and how much both grief and my own personal struggles of the last few years have really sapped me of everything.
"I am so happy to turn a page. Proud of everything I have done at Chelsea but happy to be in this new space.”
Michel craving bolder approach to halt Girona losing streak
Girona head coach Michel has urged his team to rediscover their attacking spark by adopting a bolder approach in the final third against Athletic Bilbao this Sunday.
Girona return to LaLiga action at the Estadi Montilivi following their 3-2 Champions League defeat to Feyenoord in midweek, leaving them winless in the competition.
The Blanquivermells have also struggled in the league, failing to win any of their last four matches (D2 L2), while only scoring two goals during that run.
Michel's side currently sit 13th in the standings with nine points from their first eight games, while Bilbao are up in sixth on 14 points.
Girona have lost only one of their last four against this weekend's opponents in LaLiga (W2 D1), with Michel desperate to see his side return to winning ways.
"The most important thing is the league, which is our vitality, it is where we have to perform to be able to make the club grow," Michel said.
"We need a victory with home fans so that the good feelings can turn into points."
But the Girona head coach did take on some of the blame for his side's transition to playing Champions League football this term.
After tomorrow's fixture, the Blanquivermells will have played six games in 18 days, and Michel was able to pinpoint the differences from last season to this.
"I have to be the one who adapts to the player's characteristics because otherwise they won't be comfortable on the pitch," Michel said.
"In my mind it is clear that my way of playing is good for any player, but they have to understand that they have to take a step in our game. Any player can do that.
"I'm not asking them to dribble past three defenders and score, but I do ask that they play forward and upward, that they should always look at their opponents' faces (bravely).
"We have a team that can perform very well and do things very well. We must not enter into negative dynamics."
Al-Nassr 3-0 Al-Orubah: Mane double helps hosts close in on leaders
Sadio Mane scored a goal in either half, helping Al-Nassr cruise to a 3-0 win over Al-Orubah and close in on the top two in the Saudi Pro League.
Cristiano Ronaldo had given the hosts the lead from the spot, setting them on their way to a dominant victory.
After a slow start, Jean Seri was penalised for a handball, and Ronaldo made no mistake from the spot. After a stuttering run-up, he coolly slotted his strike into the bottom-left corner.
Mane got his first on the stroke of half-time, latching onto Ronaldo's pull-back before firing his low shot into the far side of the net.
He could have had a hat-trick, having also hit the woodwork and squandered a first-time shot by slicing it wide, but he did get his second in the 71st minute, guiding Nawaf Bu Washi's cross past Gaetan Coucke.
Cristian Tello came closest to a consolation for the visitors, smashing a long-range effort off the crossbar.
Data Debrief: Mane's time to shine
Mane, so far this season, has been providing the spark as a playmaker after registering five assists in Al-Nassr's first five games in the Saudi Pro League.
Today, however, he regained his scoring touch, getting his first two goals of the campaign.
He had the most shots (five), and shots on target (three), as he accumulated 0.97 expected goals (xG), while his seven touches in the box was the most of any player on the field.
Kovacic dedicates Man City double to future child
Two-goal hero Mateo Kovacic dedicated his double to his future child following Manchester City's 3-2 victory over Fulham.
Kovacic scored either side of half-time to complete the turnaround, as Pep Guardiola's side came from behind to maintain the pressure on Premier League leaders Liverpool, who they trail by a single point.
The Croatian's deflected strike in the 32nd minute levelled the contest, before he swept City in front from 20 yards within two minutes of the restart.
That took Kovacic's goal tally for the season to three - already his best return in a single Premier League campaign - and his strikes had added significance on a personal level.
"It means a lot because my wife is pregnant, so it was great to get some goals for the little one," he said. "It is never easy to play in the Premier League and, today, we showed great character.
"We dominated in the beginning and couldn't score, conceded the goal and then came back quickly. In the end, we won it. It was a tough game against an opponent in good form, so for us, it is good to continue winning.
"It is always important to get the win. It doesn't matter who scores; the most important thing is getting three points. Now, we hope to continue like this."
Kovacic anchored City's midfield in the absence of Rodri, who suffered a season-ending anterior cruciate ligament injury in the 2-2 draw with Arsenal a fortnight ago.
"I am playing there in the middle at the moment and, of course, we need to cover for Rodri. We miss him a lot," the 30-year-old added.
"I think any team would miss him, the player that he is, and we wish him a speedy recovery and hope he comes back in as good a shape as possible.
"For now, we have to adapt and, for sure, the manager has a lot of options, so we can rotate."
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