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

To Lucia Kendall, the moment felt just as significant.

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

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

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

A Dream Return to St Mary's

Having been “an integral part” 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 big step.

So when she scored at St Mary's Stadium on her homecoming, and on only her third England cap, 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 shaped the player I am,” Kendall said.

“It appeared as though it was fate. 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.

A skilled cricketer as well, with a father who was a cricketer 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 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.”

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 comparable fashion.

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.

Southampton held onto their prized asset for the maximum time, but upon her contract expiry, Villa secured her signature to the WSL.

Her rapid progress has seen her become a WSL regular and an England international in a very brief period.

“She shows consistency and that's not easy when you just come into a new environment and into the WSL with Aston Villa,” admitted Wiegman.

“Things have gone so quickly so fast, but she just keeps up her levels and shows she is a good player - and that is impressive.”

Kendall certainly enjoyed herself at St Mary's, hitting 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.

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 stood me in really good stead.

“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 understood the need to justify my selection at international level, where the tempo is higher, akin to moving up a league.”

Acknowledgment of Her Football Intelligence

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

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 eager 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 “was an old hand” as she integrated seamlessly into the squad.

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