When Paul Green departed Chelsea after 13 years, his achievements were so extensive that most of his medals sat stored away in a box under the bed.

Only after leaving did he begin to fully recognize the scale of what he had accomplished.

The former Chelsea head of women's football built a strong partnership with ex-manager Emma Hayes and guided the Blues to 19 major trophies.

He exited suddenly in February amid reports of tension within Chelsea's leadership.

Discussing his departure, Green told BBC Sport: "Look, football clubs evolve and many people have moved on at that club in recent years.

"I think they ultimately opted for a new direction but I feel very proud of the work I completed there and I left the club in a far stronger position than when I arrived."

Under Green's guidance, Chelsea claimed six consecutive Women's Super League titles, the latest arriving under current manager Sonia Bompastor in 2025.

They became the leading force in the WSL and reached the Women's Champions League final in 2021.

"It was an outstanding period. There was great potential that Emma Hayes described to me and that was delivered," said Green.

"What the players achieved, in my view, will never be matched and it will be tough for any team to repeat that level of dominance.

"Those were some of the finest times of my life. It is often only after leaving that you truly value the success.

"I had so many medals that were simply placed under the bed in a box. I have had time to frame them. Now I have a new chapter here at Bay FC."

Green spent seven months away from football before being named chief football officer of San Francisco club Bay FC in September.

He described the reaction to his Chelsea exit as "overwhelming" and said he needed time to adjust, focusing on family in the interim.

"It was people across the women's football community who truly valued the work and success we achieved there," said Green.

"Of course, that meant a lot and it took me a long time to reply to everyone who contacted me because there were so many.

"I guess all things must end at some point and I have moved in a new direction now.

"In the early days, the lack of routine was challenging because I had come from 13 years of set patterns. That adjustment was tough."

It is clear that Green is enthusiastic about the future at Bay FC.

He has taken charge of a project led by former Football Association director Kay Cossington and backed by the multi-club ownership of Bay Collective.

Green aims to apply his extensive transfer market experience to recruit top players and build a strong organization.

"They presented the vision for the club. It became too strong an opportunity to decline," said Green.

"The chance to build something special is what excites me. I think it shares similarities with the early days at Chelsea."

Bay FC will move into new training facilities next year and Green has pledged to act in the transfer window to strengthen their league standing.

They sit third bottom with three matches remaining in the National Women's Soccer League 2026 season.

"The team has not performed as well as everyone would like. We are where we are in the league so we need to improve the roster quickly," said Green.

"With the connections and network I have built over 20 years, I am confident I can bring in a few players to support the strong group of talent we have.

"You must have the right infrastructure off the pitch in terms of staffing and facilities and that is something we are addressing."

During Green's time at Chelsea, he oversaw the growth of several English players including homegrown talents Aggie Beever-Jones and Lexi Potter.

Potter made her debut in England's 5-0 win over Greece last week, while Beever-Jones featured in the squad that won Euro 2025.

However, there are concerns for the future of England's young players as game time for homegrown talent has declined in recent years.

What solution does Green propose?

"Players still require exposure and the approach we used at Chelsea was to run a strong loan programme," said Green.

"You need to identify the right partner club to develop the player. But if that resource is unavailable, young players may need to go abroad to gain experience.

"There is the idea of a 'B team' that many other European leagues use successfully in Germany and Spain.

"I do think if they were introduced at level three of the pyramid that would help because the academy system is not what it once was. I know that view is controversial."

The FA's director of women's football Sue Day said this was an area requiring attention, while England manager Sarina Wiegman expressed her concern.

"Not enough of our young players are getting sufficient football and I think we would all agree on that," said Day.

"I do not think anyone wants to impose regulatory measures even if possible. We all need to collaborate in this system to make it effective.

"The FA, the clubs and the league are aligned. Clubs will gain value from the investment they make in developing players."