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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 felt just as significant.

Wiegman was describing the moment the Aston Villa midfielder sprinted off into the corner after netting her first Lionesses goal – early in a 2-0 victory over Ghana at St Mary's Stadium.

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

Rising to her feet among her celebrating colleagues, the young player showed an expression of overwhelming happiness.

A Scripted Moment at a Familiar Ground

Southampton was her home for a decade; she was a core player there after coming through the academy and making 103 appearances prior to her summer transfer to Aston Villa.

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

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

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

A Meteoric Ascent

While Southampton played a key role in her development, a critical choice at 15 set her on her path.

A skilled 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 was the choice.

“It was an interesting one. There was no time for me to do both anymore,” 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 knew 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 comparable attacking output.

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 retained her for as long as they could, but when her contract expired in the summer, Villa swooped to put her in the Women's Super League arena.

Her rapid progress has seen her become a WSL fixture and an England international in a short space of time.

“Displaying consistency is challenging for any new arrival in the WSL, but she has managed it,” noted 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 teeing 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 ovation 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 commented, “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.”

Praise for a Complete Midfielder

Kendall has made an immediate impression at international level, with observers stating she has just “got it” as a midfielder and looks like a “natural”.

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

In her early interactions with the press, she stressed her willingness to fulfill any role for the benefit of the team.

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

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