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“Her celebration was worthy of a Champions League triumph,” said England boss Sarina Wiegman with a grin.

To Lucia Kendall, the moment was just as monumental.

Wiegman was reflecting on the moment the Aston Villa midfielder dashed into the corner after slotting her first Lionesses goal – during the opening stages of a win over Ghana at St Mary's Stadium.

“The ground staff might need to repair that turf!” she quipped, poking fun at Kendall’s immaculate knee slide.

As the 21-year-old got to her feet, puffing out her cheeks and mobbed by her team-mates, a beaming smile lit up her face.

A Fairytale Homecoming

Kendall was “a mainstay” at Southampton – a club where she had devoted ten years, coming through their academy and playing 103 games before moving to Villa in July.

Consequently, scoring at her old stomping ground in only her third game for England was an magical experience.

“It was a truly special moment to achieve this here, in my hometown. This place shaped the player I am,” Kendall stated.

“It appeared as though it was fate. It was so special. I got consumed by emotion really.”

‘Things Have Gone So Quickly’

It may have been Southampton who “developed” Kendall, but a major decision aged 15 proved decisive to her future.

Despite being a capable cricketer (her father played for Hampshire), the looming demands of senior football at Southampton forced her hand. She went with football.

“It presented a dilemma. Juggling both became impossible,” Kendall explained in a previous media conference.

“I loved playing cricket growing up. It was a really difficult decision. I went back and forth, but when the time came, I realised I enjoy football a bit more.”

Growing up admiring Chelsea and Frank Lampard’s goal-getting midfield exploits, Kendall is starting her own path with comparable attacking output.

Juggling life at Southampton with a psychology degree at university, it was clear early on that Kendall had the determination and dedication to become a star.

The club fought to keep her, but with her deal up, Villa seized the opportunity to bring her to the top flight.

Her rapid progress has seen her become a WSL fixture and an England international in a short space of time.

“Displaying consistency is challenging for any new arrival in the WSL, but she has managed it,” noted Wiegman.

“The pace of her rise has been breathtaking, yet she maintains her performance standard, proving her quality impressively.”

Her performance was eye-catching; she struck the woodwork and was instrumental in another chance, preceding Russo’s spot-kick.

Her substitution on the hour mark was met with a resounding reception from fans and an announcer proudly declaring her local roots.

Kendall scored 29 goals for the club in more than a decade of service and added: “Being at Southampton for so long, I played regular senior football from the age of 16 and that gave me a great foundation.

“The constant faith they placed in me gave me the confidence to take the next step.

“I understood the need to justify my selection at international level, where the tempo is higher, akin to moving up a league.”

Acknowledgment of Her Football Intelligence

Her seamless transition to the international stage has led to praise for her innate midfield qualities and natural demeanour.

Wiegman is keen to shield her, saying the media can play a role in that and so can Villa, but she has no concerns because of how “down-to-earth” Kendall acts.

Shortly after her maiden call-up, she spoke to reporters, expressing a desire to contribute while acknowledging the importance of the collective.

Teammate Alessia Russo observed that Kendall integrated as if she’d always been there.

“{This team's just gone on to win back-to