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“She celebrated as if she had won the Champions League,” noted England boss Sarina Wiegman with a laugh.

To Lucia Kendall, the moment carried similar weight.

This comment came as Wiegman spoke about the young midfielder’s elated reaction to her maiden England goal – during the opening stages of a 2-0 victory over Ghana at St Mary's Stadium.

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

Rising to her feet within her celebrating colleagues, the young player wore an expression of pure joy.

A Fairytale Homecoming

Kendall was “a fixture” at Southampton – a club where she had spent a decade, rising through their academy and making 103 games before joining Villa in July.

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

“A really special moment for me to be able to do it here, where I grew up. This place forged the player I am,” Kendall stated.

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

‘Things Have Gone So Quickly’

Southampton built her foundation, yet a formative decision made when she was 15 proved to be a turning point.

A proficient cricketer as well, with a father who played county cricket for Hampshire, she faced a choice between the two pursuits as her football career began to flourish. Football was the choice.

“It presented a dilemma. Juggling both became impossible,” Kendall commented in a October 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.”

Her idol growing up as a Chelsea fan was Frank Lampard – an England midfielder famed for his goalscoring ability – and Kendall has started out in a like fashion.

Her ability to manage first-team football alongside a psychology degree was evidence of the mental fortitude and dedication required for the top level.

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

Within months the Winchester-born player has made a name for herself, becoming a regular in the top flight and earning a place in the England squad.

“She shows consistency and that's not easy when you just come into a new environment and into the WSL with Aston Villa,” noted Wiegman.

“Everything has happened at breakneck speed, but her ability to sustain her high standards is truly notable.”

Kendall certainly enjoyed herself at St Mary's, striking the crossbar later in the first half and almost setting up Villa team-mate Missy Bo Kearns for a goal, before Alessia Russo added a second with an injury-time penalty.

She was substituted after an hour to a cheer from the home crowd and the enthusiastic voice of the stadium announcer proclaiming that she was “Southampton's very own”.

Having scored 29 times for Southampton during her long tenure, she reflected, “My early exposure to senior football there from 16 was invaluable experience.

“Their unwavering belief in my abilities made me feel prepared for the challenge ahead.

“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

At the highest level, she has immediately looked the part, described as a natural midfielder who “gets it”.

Wiegman is keen to protect her, saying the media can play a role in that and so can Villa, but she has no concerns because of how “humble” Kendall conducts herself.

Days after being called up by the Lionesses for the first time, Kendall was sitting in front of the media saying she was keen to impress, but also understood the need for the team's greater good and whatever role she needed to play in that.

According to Russo, Kendall’s integration was so smooth it seemed she’d been part of the group for ages.

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