I idolised Steven Gerrard and Ally McCoist, now I'm eyeing up Chelsea quadruple

It is the kind of modest statement one has become used to hearing from Emma Hayes' squad of immensely talented Chelsea players.

With Chelsea top of the WSL table, through to the semi-finals of the League Cup, the quarter-finals of the FA Cup and the knockout stages of the Champions League, the words of Blues' midfielder Erin Cuthbert might be seen as something of an understatement.

But Cuthbert, like the rest of Hayes squad, is not getting ahead of herself.

Ahead of their crucial WSL battle against title rivals Manchester City, on Friday, she told talkSPORT that her side were anything but complacent.

She said: "Nothing's won or lost yet so it's up to us to go and do the business. Chelsea love the business end of the season, it's something we certainly thrive on and look towards.

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"We've got players in the dressing room who thrive under these opportunities. We just need to go and get the job done now."

That job involves doing what no English side has done since Arsenal Women won the first ever quadruple in the 2007/08 season - but Cuthbert's side are now close to matching that achievement.

Despite being just 25, she made her 200th Chelsea appearance earlier this season during the Blues' 1-1 away draw against Manchester City.

And the midfielder has been taking on an even more vital role for the Blues this season too in the absence of Lioness Millie Bright, who has been sidelined with injury.

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She has been captaining the side for some of their big fixtures this season, cementing her status as an inspiration and a fan-favourite at the club.

But when asked who the figures were that had inspired her growing up, there was a particular talkSPORT presenter that she expressed her love for.

She said: "(Ally McCoist) is an absolute legend!"

And McCoist was not the only figure that inspired her to become the player she is today.

She added: "I'm a big Rangers fan as well so when Steven Gerrard was announced as manager I was so excited!

"Also, I love the Barcelona era of Xavi, Busquets. Iniesta. That was just a prime era for me and being a midfielder I just idolised watching that."

Cuthbert has become one of the first names on the teamsheet for Hayes since joining in 2017.

She caught the eyes of the club when she was just 18 and already impressing as Glasgow City's top-scorer in 2016.

Since making her debut for Chelsea in 2017, she has helped the club to win six WSL titles, four FA Cups and a League Cup.

One of the standout moments for Chelsea as a club in recent times has been the evening which saw both the men's and women's teams pick up important wins on the same evening.

Chelsea Women's 5-0 victory over Sunderland - which sent them straight through to the semi-finals of the League Cup - happened on the same night that Chelsea Men defeated Aston Villa 3-1 to see them through to the last-16 in the FA Cup.

It was a night that reflected what Cuthbert called the 'close affinity' between the two sides of the club.

She said: "We are a sort of one-club mentality. We all want the same things. It's a club that's been built on winning, ever since I've been at the club, has a great history, men and women, of winning trophies. That unique bond binds us together."

And she added that the winning mentality sometimes led to good-natured teasing between the two teams.

"There's certainly a lot of pressure and a lot of banter between the men and women's team about continually winning trophies," she said. "Maybe we weren't (winning) one time and they really were, so we go back and forth with each other!"

Chelsea Women's fixture against Manchester City takes place just one day before the men's sides also meet at the Etihad with much riding on both games.

Just as the stakes are high in the Premier League this season, Cuthbert explained just how much more competitive the WSL was becoming.

She said: Teams are making it tougher every single game. And every single year it's smaller margins that are determining the game.

"Teams are low-blocking a lot better, the transitions are a lot better as well. Every single game you need to be on it."

Perhaps Cuthbert's standout performance this season came in Chelsea's 3-1 victory over BK Hacken in the group stages of the Champions League.

It was a performance which contributed to them finishing top of their group and garnered Cuthbert the special praise of her manager, Hayes.

And Chelsea are not the only team who value Cuthbert's outstanding work rate and versatility.

The lifelong Rangers fan has been voted Scotland Women's Player of the Year three times, most recently in December 2023.

She will be hoping to propel Scotland to success in their upcoming games in the Pinatar Cup in late February.

But for now, her focus is on what could be a title-defining match against Manchester City at Kingsmeadow.

Cuthbert told talkSPORT that 'a fierce battle' was likely to ensure.

She said: "We want the win, they want the win. They're three points behind, so it's really, really tight and I think a lot of quality will be on display.

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"I think they've got top players we need to be aware of and equally on the other end, we've got players that can hurt them so it's going to be about who performs on the night."

You can hear the full interview on talkSPORT's Women's Football Show on Monday from 7pm on talkSPORT 2.