Millie Bright admits nobody will be able to directly replace Emma Hayes when she leaves Chelsea at the end of the season. 

Hayes, 47, is set to take charge of the United States women's national team in the summer after a period of astonishing success with the Blues, which has included four successive Women's Super League titles. 

Bright, awarded an OBE in the New Year Honours list, hailed the outgoing manager's impact and acknowledged the challenge facing whoever comes in next. 

The England defender, 30, said: "I don't think you fill those boots again — that's a legacy that kind of ends there. 

"It's a new time for Chelsea. The ambition stays the same, it's to win, it's to be the leading team in the women's game and keep breaking down barriers. 

"That's something Emma has done exceptionally well on and off the pitch.

"I've seen many things change at the club just through Emma pushing and being that force. She's led the way in the game. 

"No one else has won the trophies she's won. She's been a serial winner. 

"For us, I don't think it's about finding the next Emma, it's finding the new journey for Chelsea, finding the best fit for that and us as players being excited by it. 

"You have to adapt to survive and keep at the top."

Hayes and England boss Sarina Wiegman are on the three-person shortlist for FIFA’s Women’s Coach of the Year award. 

And Lionesses star Bright, currently continuing her recovery from a knee injury, insists the pair share a number of similarities. 

She added: "Since the first day Sarina came in it's been very similar from club to country. That's when I finally found myself performing the way I do at my club for my country. 

"That was kind of the turning point for me internationally, where I've felt my most comfortable and confident. 

"They both treat you as human beings, they understand we all have feelings and we're not robots. 

"The biggest thing for me is that a happy player is the best player. Not everyone agrees with that but that's how I've been in my career."