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

For Lucia Kendall, the feeling was remarkably similar.

The England boss was commenting on the instant the Villa player celebrated wildly following her debut international strike – during the opening stages of a triumph over Ghana at St Mary's Stadium.

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

As the 21-year-old rose, puffing out her cheeks and engulfed by her team-mates, a wide smile appeared on her face.

A Fairytale Homecoming

Having been “a staple” of Southampton for ten years, where she came up through the youth ranks to play over a century of games, her summer switch to Villa was a significant change.

So when she found the net at St Mary's Stadium on her return, and on only her third England cap, it was the pinnacle of her career.

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

“It seemed destined to happen. It was so special. I got flooded with emotion really.”

A Meteoric Ascent

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

A proficient cricketer as well, with a father who was a cricketer for Hampshire, she was forced to decide between the two pursuits as her football career took off. Football won out.

“It presented a dilemma. Juggling both became impossible,” Kendall commented in a recent 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 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 talent – and Kendall has started out in a similar fashion.

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

The club did their utmost to keep her, but with her deal up, Villa seized the opportunity 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.

“Maintaining her level immediately in a new league and club is difficult, yet she has done so,” said 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, hitting 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 came off after an hour to a cheer from the home crowd and the excited voice of the stadium announcer proclaiming that she was “Southampton's very own”.

With 29 Southampton goals to her name, she noted, “The trust and regular playing time I received from 16 was crucial.

“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 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

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

While mindful of shielding her young star, Wiegman is confident due to Kendall’s humble and professional attitude.

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.

Teammate Alessia Russo remarked that Kendall settled as if she’d been a long-term member.

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