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

To Lucia Kendall, the moment felt just as significant.

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

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

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

A Fairytale Homecoming

Having been “an integral part” of Southampton for a decade, where she progressed from the youth ranks to play over a century of games, her summer switch to Villa was a significant change.

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 stuff of dreams.

“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 remarked.

“It felt like it was written [in the stars]. It was so special. I got consumed by emotion really.”

A Meteoric Ascent

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

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

“It was an interesting one. There was no time for me to do both anymore,” Kendall said 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 knew I enjoy football a bit more.”

A Chelsea supporter, her idol was the prolific England midfielder Frank Lampard, and Kendall’s early career is mirroring that goalscoring trend.

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 held on to her for as long as they could, but when her contract expired in the summer, Villa acted quickly to put her in the Women's Super League spotlight.

Within months the Winchester-born player has made a name for herself, becoming a regular in the top flight and breaking into 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,” said 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 nearly crafted another chance, preceding Russo’s spot-kick.

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.

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

“I knew that I had to go in [to England] and prove why I should be playing at this level. The speed of the game is quicker and it was like going up a division.”

Acknowledgment of Her Football Intelligence

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

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

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.

Arsenal striker Alessia Russo said it felt like Kendall had “been here for years” as she integrated seamlessly into the squad.

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