When Emma Hayes walked into the press conference room after Chelsea’s 3-2 extra-time defeat of Manchester City in the FA Cup final, she had Ji So-yun’s shirt in her hands. It was signed ‘To Emma’ and the manager placed it on the table in front of her in tribute to her departing midfielder.
The South Korean, who has been at the club for eight years and is one of Chelsea’s longest-serving players, has been telling Hayes she wants a statue.
“I can’t give her a statue but I want her to know that I am honouring her in the best way I possibly can by putting her front and centre,” said an emotional Hayes. “If I could, I’d put Drew [Spence] and Jonna [Andersson] there, side by side. I think I realised today that they’re going, and I want to cry because I’m so gutted to lose three brilliant people.”
Ji, 31, has been the fulcrum of the attack, helping the club to each of their 11 major trophies in the WSL era. Filling the hole is nigh-on impossible. Hayes said it was important not to even try to replace her like-for-like. However, part of the solution can be seen in the growing influence of the 23-year-old Erin Cuthbert.
“Oh for sure she is [the future of Chelsea’s midfield]”, said Hayes. “And desperately needed too. We’ve lost Ji and Drew and Melanie Leupolz, who will be back, I might add, if she’s listening; she’s going to remind me that she’ll be back the minute that baby comes out.”
Cuthbert has been a powerhouse in the closing stages of the season, shifting into a more central role after being the workhorse who would fill in wherever necessary.
“Erin’s in her home,” said Hayes. “It was always going to be her home. We have a plan, we’ve always had a plan, to develop players. Look at Lauren James. She’s come into the club, people might say: ‘Why did she come to the club, she’s not playing?’ It’s not as simple as that. We’ve had to build Lauren up to be prepared for the future, just like Jessie Fleming, maybe Erin Cuthbert before that.
“In our environment you need time to bed in. It’s a world-class environment, you’re not just going to get straight into the team and Erin [Hayes lets out a big sigh]: ‘Oh my God, can we make 20 of her?’ She is amazing. Absolutely amazing. I was going to say I wish she was English, but she won’t like me saying that.”
The Scotland international has had to be patient but it is paying off. She scored to put Chelsea 2-1 up in the final and was named player of the match.
“I was shocked – I thought it was going to Sam,” she said with a huge grin. “I’ve not let it sink in. I was too busy singing in the dressing room and my calves are about to fall off.
“I feel like I’ve had to wait a wee while to get to where I finally am now, but patience is a virtue as they say,” she said, when told of her manager’s comments. “I want to learn; I know that I’ve got so much more to learn about the position. I’ve almost kind of just been thrown in there in the last few months of the season. I actually want to take the time in pre-season to fine-tune details, know when I can and can’t go. I’m an aggressive player but sometimes that’s to my detriment because I leave a lot of space behind me, so I’ve got a lot to learn and I’m glad that I’m finally able to practise my trade.”
One thing she has been keen to add is goals. “Just hit it,” she said of her edge-of-the-box effort. “The first half I didn’t get high enough, I didn’t get around the second balls, didn’t get around the box. A couple of them dropped in the first half and I wasn’t in there, and the forwards gave me a hard time at half-time. So I made sure that I got myself up and Beth [England]’s set it beautifully. Just touch and strike, and if you don’t buy a ticket, you don’t win the raffle, eh?”
What of filling Ji’s boots? “Oh, she’s just a magician. Every time I use one touch, she congratulates me. It’s like ‘small passes, small passes’, in training all the time. She’s been a great mentor. Ji So-yun is unbelievable because she can change a game just like that, and that’s something that I’m trying to learn to do.”
What does the mentor think? “Erin said after the game the second goal was for me,” said Ji. “She has grown so much. She did really well today.
“It’s difficult to express my feelings fully after my last Chelsea game. It’s a very special part of me and the past eight years means everything to me. It’s a very special club. It’s the best team in the world.”