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

For Lucia Kendall, the feeling was remarkably similar.

Wiegman was describing the moment the Aston Villa midfielder raced away into the corner after slotting her first Lionesses goal – six minutes into a win over Ghana at St Mary's Stadium.

“The ground staff might need to repair that turf!” she quipped, poking fun at Kendall’s flawless knee slide.

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

A Scripted Moment at a Familiar Ground

Having been “a staple” 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 big step.

Therefore, scoring at St Mary's upon her homecoming and during just her third international match felt dreamlike.

“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.”

‘Things Have Gone So Quickly’

While Southampton played a key role in her development, a life-altering choice at 15 was vital for her prospects.

The gifted youngster was also a accomplished cricketer – her dad Will played for Hampshire – but ultimately had to pick one of the sports just as she was earning a place in Southampton's first-team squad. She chose football.

“It was an interesting one. There was no time for me to do both anymore,” Kendall explained in a previous media conference.

“I loved playing cricket growing up. It was a really difficult decision. 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 ability – and Kendall has started out in a comparable fashion.

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

The second-tier club retained her for as long as they could, but when her contract expired in the summer, Villa acted quickly to put her in the Women's Super League arena.

Within months the Winchester-born player has made a name for herself, becoming a regular in the top flight and earning a place in the England squad.

“Maintaining her level immediately in a new league and club is difficult, yet she has done so,” 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 hitting the bar and coming close to providing an assist for Kearns, prior to Russo’s late penalty.

Her substitution on the hour mark was met with a resounding reception from fans and an announcer proudly declaring her local roots.

Having netted 29 times for Southampton during her long tenure, she said, “My early exposure to senior football there from 16 was invaluable experience.

“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

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

Wiegman is keen to protect her, saying the media can play a role in that and so can Villa, but she has no concerns because of how “grounded” Kendall conducts herself.

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.

Arsenal striker Alessia Russo said it felt like Kendall had “fitted in instantly” as she slotted straight into the squad.

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