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“She reacted like a Champions League winner,” remarked England coach Sarina Wiegman with a laugh.

To Lucia Kendall, the moment was just as monumental.

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

“The ground staff might need to repair that turf!” she joked, in reference to Kendall’s flawless knee slide.

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

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.

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

A Meteoric Ascent

Southampton laid the groundwork, yet a important 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 won out.

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

Her idol growing up as a Chelsea fan was Frank Lampard – an England midfielder renowned for his goalscoring prowess – 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 drive and commitment to become a star.

The club did their utmost to keep her, but with her deal up, Villa moved decisively to introduce her to the top flight.

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.

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

The midfielder was influential, later rattling the bar and coming close to providing an assist for Kearns, prior to Russo’s late penalty.

She came off after an hour to a roar from the home crowd and the enthusiastic voice of the stadium announcer boasting that she was “Southampton's very own”.

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.

“Entering the England setup, I was aware I had to demonstrate my worth. The increased pace felt like a step up in class.”

Acknowledgment of Her Football Intelligence

At the highest level, she has appeared comfortable, described as a natural midfielder who “understands”.

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 “down-to-earth” 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 eager 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 assimilation was so smooth it seemed she’d been part of the group for ages.

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