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

For Lucia Kendall, the feeling was remarkably similar.

The England boss was discussing the instant the Villa player ran off in jubilation following her debut international strike – six minutes into a win over Ghana at St Mary's Stadium.

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

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

A Dream Return to St Mary's

Kendall was “part of the furniture” at Southampton – a club where she had been for ten seasons, coming through their academy and playing 103 appearances before moving to Villa in July.

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

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

“It seemed destined to happen. It was so special. I got consumed by emotion really.”

A Rapid Rise to Prominence

It may have been Southampton who “made” Kendall, but a big decision at the age of 15 proved decisive to her future.

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

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

“I adored cricket as a child. Making the choice was very hard. I went back and forth, but when the time came, I understood 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 similar attacking instincts.

Balancing her football at Southampton with university studies in psychology highlighted the discipline and ambition needed to excel.

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

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

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

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

Exiting the pitch to applause, the announcer highlighted her deep connection to the club and city.

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.

“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.”

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

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

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

Days after being called up by the Lionesses for the first time, Kendall was addressing 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.

Teammate Alessia Russo remarked that Kendall settled as if she’d always been there.

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