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

For Lucia Kendall, the feeling was remarkably similar.

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

“They are still doing some treatment on the grass!” she quipped, referring to Kendall’s perfect knee slide.

Getting up from her slide, Kendall looked around with an amazed expression and a radiant grin.

A Dream Return to St Mary's

Kendall was “a fixture” at Southampton – a club where she had been for ten seasons, coming through their academy and making 103 games before moving to Villa in July.

So when she saw the ball hit the back of the net at St Mary's Stadium on her homecoming, and on only her third England appearance, it was the material of fairy tales.

“To do it here, where I was raised, was an immensely special moment. This place shaped the player I am,” Kendall said.

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

A Rapid Rise to Prominence

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

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

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

“Growing up, I had a passion for cricket. The decision was genuinely tough. I went back and forth, but when the time came, I knew 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 similar fashion.

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 second-tier club retained her for as long as they could, but when her contract expired in the summer, Villa pounced to put her in the Women's Super League arena.

In a matter of months, Kendall has quickly risen, securing a regular place in the WSL and a call-up to the national team.

“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.

“Things have gone so quickly so fast, but she just keeps up her levels and shows she is a good player - and that is impressive.”

The midfielder was influential, later hitting the bar and nearly creating a goal for Kearns, prior to Russo’s late penalty.

Her substitution on the hour mark was met with a loud 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.

“It was the consistent trust they showed in me as a player and the belief. I felt like I was ready for [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.”

‘Technically and Tactically, She Is a Very Strong Midfielder’

Kendall has made an immediate impression at international level, with pundits stating she has just “has the quality” as a midfielder and looks like a “born talent”.

The England manager wants to safeguard her exposure, citing the roles of both media and club, but is reassured by the player’s humble nature.

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

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

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