Emma Hayes is a "visionary leader" who has "figured out her lane and nailed it", and will inspire more women to strive for similar positions, according to Portland Thorns general manager Karina LeBlanc.
The 47-year-old recently took charge of the United States following a decorated 12-year spell with Chelsea, who she guided to seven Women's Super League titles and five FA Cup triumphs.
Hayes has certainly hit the ground running with the Stars and Stripes, leading them to a record-extending fifth Olympic gold in Paris last month with victory over Brazil in the final after an undefeated tournament.
But LeBlanc believes Hayes' successful impact will extend much further than just on the football pitch.
Speaking at the Thinking Football Summit organised by Liga Portugal, she told Stats Perform: "I've known Emma for many years. It's so exciting to have somebody who's a visionary leader come into the country.
"The thing about women's football is that there weren't so many people at that level where you had conversations. So, the conversations I've always had with Emma were: 'You figure out your lane, and you figure out how to nail it and impact', and that's what Emma's doing.
"When I walk in a room with other women, my first thing is, how can we impact together? So for me, I'm her biggest advocate. I'm her biggest ally because I know how she's going to lead this next generation.
"It's important you have that position. You have that platform, [but] what are you going to do with it? What's exciting is, in such a short time, she got [Olympic] gold for the US because she's figured out her lane, and she's nailed it.
"What every player on that team will see and learn from her is, yes, the technical skills of how to win and how to play better football, but they'll also see a woman who figured out her lane, and figured out: 'I'm going to just nail it so that I can impact others'.
"So, the impact that she will have is not just on gold medals; the impact she'll have is the importance of seeing it and believing it.
"The players in that locker room would then be like: 'I can do big things, too'. And I think that's why it's so important to get women in leadership positions."
No Neymar return until 2025, says Al-Hilal boss Jesus
Neymar will not return from his anterior cruciate ligament injury until January 2025 at the earliest, Al-Hilal boss Jorge Jesus has warned.
Neymar left Paris Saint-Germain for Al-Hilal in a €90million deal in August 2023, becoming one of the faces of the Saudi Pro League's major recruitment drive.
However, he only played five matches for the club before rupturing his ACL while on international duty with Brazil last October.
The 32-year-old subsequently missed the remainder of the season as well as the Selecao's ill-fated Copa America campaign, and he remains some way away from a return.
Neymar was removed from Al-Hilal's Saudi Pro League squad in September, with the 19-time champions only able to register a maximum of eight foreign players for the first half of the season.
Reports had suggested Neymar was close to a return after Al-Hilal posted footage of him training on social media, but Jesus says Brazil's all-time leading scorer must wait until the halfway point of the campaign before being considered.
"Neymar is an important player for Al Hilal and the league in general," Jesus told reporters on Tuesday.
"I can't, however, specify a date as to when he will return, but we will look at the situation in January."
With no restrictions on foreign players featuring in the AFC Champions League, Neymar could, in theory, play in that competition if he returns to fitness before January.
Al-Bukayriyah 0-1 Al-Hilal: Leonardo sends defending King's Cup champions through
Marcos Leonardo's first-half penalty was enough to book Al-Hilal a spot in the King's Cup round of 16 with a 1-0 win over Al-Bukayriyah.
The defending champions dominated from the start, with Abdullah Al Hamddan and Sergej Milinkovic-Savic both seeing early efforts saved by Dziugas Bartkus.
Al Hamddan then won the game-winning spot-kick in the 40th minute, being brought down in the box by Ibrahim Al Sunaytan, and Leonardo made no mistake from 12 yards.
Al-Hilal kept pushing for another goal, with substitutes Renan Lodi and Aleksandar Mitrovic both testing Bartkus in the second half, but they could not add to the scoreline.
Neymar, who is gearing up for his return to action after a year on the sidelines, was not involved for Al-Hilal, who lead the way in the Saudi Pro League.
Data Debrief: Leonardo proves the difference
Al-Hilal were dominant in the first half, completely overwhelming their opponents as they had 12 of their 17 shots before the break, getting five of those on target.
But across the 90 minutes, it was Leonardo who was the standout, having the second-most shots (three) and accumulating 0.82 expected goals (xG).
His only shot on target may have been the winning penalty, but he proved a handful as he also had the most touches in the opposition box (10).
Al-Bukayriyah 0-1 Al-Hilal: Leonardo sends defending King Cup champions through
Marcos Leonardo's first-half penalty was enough to book Al-Hilal a spot in the King Cup round of 16 with a 1-0 win over Al-Bukayriyah.
The defending champions dominated from the start, with Abdullah Al Hamddan and Sergej Milinkovic-Savic both seeing early efforts saved by Dziugas Bartkus.
Al Hamddan then won the game-winning spot-kick in the 40th minute, being brought down in the box by Ibrahim Al Sunaytan, and Leonardo made no mistake from 12 yards.
Al-Hilal kept pushing for another goal, with substitutes Renan Lodi and Aleksandar Mitrovic both testing Bartkus in the second half, but they could not add to the scoreline.
Neymar, who is gearing up for his return to action after a year on the sidelines, was not involved for Al-Hilal, who lead the way in the Saudi Pro League.
Data Debrief: Leonardo proves the difference
Al-Hilal were dominant in the first half, completely overwhelming their opponents as they had 12 of their 17 shots before the break, getting five of those on target.
But across the 90 minutes, it was Leonardo who was the standout, having the second-most shots (three) and accumulating 0.82 expected goals (xG).
His only shot on target may have been the winning penalty, but he proved a handful as he also had the most touches in the opposition box (10).
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