da luck： The Blues have become experts at planning ahead within the women's game, and thus have a squad capable of winning more honours in the coming years

da dobrowin： And so Emma Hayes' Chelsea tenure is over. The Blues' iconic manager bid farewell in style on Saturday when she helped her team lift a fifth successive Women's Super League title, the 16th piece of silverware in an incredible 12-year stint in west London. It might not have been the trophy-laden end that the players wanted to deliver, but it was a high for Hayes, and other key players who are also departing, to go out on after a tough season.

It's not long until Chelsea fans will be adjusting their eyes to the rather strange sight of her being in another dugout, either. Hayes is set to take over the United States women's national team almost immediately, with her first game in charge of the four-time world champions to come on June 1. It will be the first time she coaches a side other than Chelsea in a competitive setting since her ill-fated spell as manager of the Chicago Red Stars came to an end back in 2010.

There's a lot of talk about what is next for Hayes in that role and what she could do for the USWNT ahead of this summer's Olympic Games, as they try to reassert themselves following last year's shock early exit from the World Cup. It's certainly an exciting appointment for the U.S. and neutrals will be intrigued to see how it unfolds, too.

But what is next for Chelsea? After 12 years with Hayes at the helm, there is a new era coming, one made more significant by the departures of other members of the coaching staff and two key players in Fran Kirby and Maren Mjelde. But as they transition into this new chapter, there are reasons for fans of the Blues to be excited.

GettyTop-level squad

After all, let’s look at the team that the new coach, likely to be Lyon boss Sonia Bompastor, is going to take over. It’s a squad that boasts 26 senior international footballers, an exceptional leader in Millie Bright and some genuinely world-class players, such as Catarina Macario and Sam Kerr, if the latter does as reports are suggesting and renews her expiring contract.

Even if it takes Hayes’ successor some time to adjust to the job, there are players at their disposal who can win games to allow the new boss that little extra time to settle. However, if there are a few bumps in the road in the first stages of this post-Hayes era, it shouldn’t cause too many immediate concerns either. That’s because it’s the rising stars in this team that make Chelsea a mouth-watering prospect.

AdvertisementGettyMore to come

Hayes is leaving behind a young squad, and while it is not as stacked as some of those from previous years – think about that which had Kerr, Kirby and Pernille Harder in full flow, for example, and reached the Champions League final – it could reach those levels in due course.

That’s because those who have shone this past season, which was a difficult one given the injuries the Blues had to deal with, are all still to reach their prime years. Hannah Hampton, aged 23, has already become the team’s first-choice goalkeeper and looks like she could hold that position for club – and maybe even country – for years to come. Jess Carter, still only 26 years old, has risen to the occasion in the heart of defence while Bright has been injured, holding down the fort despite the ever-rotating cast around her. Niamh Charles, the 24-year-old forward-turned-defender, has made the left-back role her own and been better than anyone else in that position in the WSL this year.

In the engine room, Erin Cuthbert, 25 years old, has shared captaincy duties with Charles and regularly produced in the big moments, most notably to give Chelsea a shock win in Barcelona, while Sjoeke Nusken, only 23, has had an outstanding first season in England despite playing no fewer than five different positions.

Lauren James, meanwhile, has become the leader of the Blues' attack over the course of the campaign. At just 22, the England forward possesses true world-class potential, and can still take her game to even higher levels.

Getty ImagesPromise for the future

That’s before we get onto the likes of Macario (24), Mayra Ramirez (25) and Mia Fishel (23), senior players with big international experiences who have shown glimpses of what they can offer and will contribute even more when they can have injury-free seasons.

And also before we talk about the young players coming through behind this crop, too. Chelsea have always had some homegrown talents in the squad – Drew Spence and Hannah Blundell are two of the biggest success stories, with Aggie Beever-Jones flying the flag right now – and they have long had an ability to develop young players signed from elsewhere, with Bright and Kirby two key examples.

However, it’s clear that in recent years there has been greater emphasis on signing these young stars, to the point that many more are coming from abroad as well as within England – and they are arriving at younger ages, too.

GettyEmphasis on the next generation

In the last two years alone, Chelsea have signed four teenagers who have shown real potential in their exposure to senior football, in Lucy Watson, Maika Hamano, Brooke Aspin and Wieke Kaptein – all of whom have then been loaned back out. Reports suggest they could add two 20-year-olds, in Barcelona's Julia Bartel and England youngster Ruby Mace, this summer, too.

The loan system is probably under-used in women’s football in England, but the Blues are taking steps to ensure they don’t let the opportunities it can provide go to waste, especially because they want to give young players a chance but know that stepping into this Chelsea team isn’t easy.

"I think we're at that stage of our journey now where we recognise that to play at this level is not as simple as just making a signing and bringing them into your club,” Hayes said last season. “That development pathway for the younger player now is going to involve preparation that might see them cross borders. The loan process is one that we should embrace, especially when the development of the league and the top teams in that league has just grown exponentially.”