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“Her celebration was worthy of a Champions League triumph,” noted England coach Sarina Wiegman with a smile.

To Lucia Kendall, the moment was just as monumental.

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

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

Getting up from her slide, Kendall took in the moment with cheeks puffed and a huge grin.

A Fairytale Homecoming

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

Therefore, scoring at St Mary's upon her return and during just her third international match felt extraordinarily special.

“It was a truly special moment to achieve this here, in my hometown. This place made me into 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 Rapid Rise to Prominence

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 was a cricketer for Hampshire, she was forced to decide 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 said 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 understood I enjoy football a bit more.”

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

Juggling life at Southampton with a psychology degree at university, it was clear early on that Kendall had the work ethic and commitment to become a star.

Southampton kept their prized asset for the maximum time, but upon her contract expiry, Villa brought her in to the WSL.

Within months the Winchester-born player has risen to prominence, becoming a consistent starter in the top flight and earning a place in the England squad.

“Displaying consistency is challenging for any new arrival in the WSL, but she has managed it,” said Wiegman.

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

Kendall certainly enjoyed herself at St Mary's, striking 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 was substituted after an hour to a roar from the home crowd and the excited voice of the stadium announcer boasting that she was “Southampton's very own”.

Having scored 29 times for Southampton during her long tenure, she reflected, “My early exposure to senior football there from 16 set me up perfectly.

“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.”

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

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

Wiegman is keen 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.

Shortly after her maiden call-up, she faced reporters, expressing a desire to contribute while understanding the importance of the collective.

According to Russo, Kendall’s integration was so smooth it seemed she’d was a veteran presence.

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