The 22-year-old put pen to paper on her first professional contract this week, signing for the Blues until June 2023.

Having made her senior international debut at the age of 15, Fleming has 77 caps for her national side Canada and the Chelsea boss is delighted Fleming opted for the Blues.

‘Jessie is one of the top young players in the world so for us to beat a lot of other clubs to her signature is a testament to the work that has been done here for a number of years,’ Hayes said.‘Jessie chose Chelsea, this was her priority, her first choice and we are over the moon to get her.’

Fleming joins Chelsea having spent four years playing for the University of California and Hayes believes the quality of the Blues squad will allow the midfielder to develop into a top player.

‘Jessie has got the ability between both boxes to run the show,' Hayes explained. ‘I think she’s got a number of different positions in her.

‘She’s a young player still developing and with the quality of players that we have, we will see this is a player that is going to be one of the top players in the world.’

The midfielder will join up with fellow new recruits Melanie Leupolz, Niamh Charles and the rest of her new team-mates this week and Hayes expects her to have no problems with adapting to football in England having closely followed the Canadian’s playing career in the United States.

‘The fact that she speaks English is going to help, the fact that she really wanted to be in London and be at Chelsea will also help.

‘The quality of people we have here, they will make sure she settles with no problems, I have no worries about that.

‘I watched Jessie burst onto the scene as a 16-year-old for Canada and she has played more than 70 odd games for her country and she is 22.

‘She has got a lot ahead of her and I’ve heard her team-mate Christine Sinclair speak so highly of her. Sinclair was somebody I drafted in America so I know that those are very kind words for someone of such a young age.'

Read: Jessie Fleming's first words as a Chelsea player