Hayes’s Olympic victory with USWNT is story woven with love and loss | Suzanne Wrack

Head coach's late father inspired her to take the US job and tapestry of emotions led to glittering gold in Paris

Twelve years ago Emma Hayes was sitting next to her father, Sid, at Wembley watching the United States women's national team win their fourth Olympic gold medal. Hayes, to all intents and purposes unemployed, after she had been sacked by the Chicago Red Stars, leaned across to Sid and, as he recalled it, said: Dad, you see those 50 people out there? I've coached 40 of them."

It was a poignant moment for Sid, one he remembered in an interview with the Guardian in 2021 as the moment he truly understood just how good a coach she was.