On top of the match being a hugely important second leg in a finely poised semi-final, it is also the last time Hayes will be in charge at the stadium.

There have been significant moments there for her team when they have played major games at the Bridge, but Hayes will not be allowing her mind to fill up with memories as she attempts to steer the Blues to victory over the team she regards as the best.

‘The only person who can send me over the edge is my child,’ Hayes says to the suggestion she could become emotionally overwhelmed.

‘When I can't manage a situation with a five-year-old then I am a bit flustered. Being a parent is the hardest thing in the whole world. Being a football manager with your team is a privilege and an honour.

‘I don’t think of it emotionally, I'm with my football family. I like being in the trenches with them.’

Hayes adds that she has been in her job for so long now that she has trained her brain not to become preoccupied with extraneous events or background noise surrounding the match itself.

‘Of course, they’re natural but I know how to shut them down,’ she adds, ‘to stay present, stay in the moment.

‘I've done my job this week. I'll do everything I can within my control and have a nice pre-game walk because I always do that in the morning, and I look forward to seeing the fans at the game.’