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

And for Lucia Kendall, it was a near-equivalent experience.

The England boss was discussing the instant the Villa player ran off in jubilation 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 quipped, poking fun at Kendall’s flawless knee slide.

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

A Scripted Moment at a Familiar Ground

Kendall was “a mainstay” at Southampton – a club where she had been for ten seasons, coming through their academy and playing 103 games before joining Villa in July.

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

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

“It appeared as though it was fate. 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 shaped her destiny.

A proficient cricketer as well, with a father who played county cricket for Hampshire, she faced a choice between the two pursuits as her football career took off. Football was the choice.

“It presented a dilemma. Juggling both became impossible,” Kendall commented in a October 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 famed for his goalscoring talent – and Kendall has started out in a like fashion.

Balancing her football at Southampton with university studies in psychology showcased 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 limelight.

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

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

“Everything has happened at breakneck speed, but her ability to sustain her high standards is truly notable.”

The midfielder was influential, later rattling the bar and nearly creating a goal for Kearns, prior to Russo’s late penalty.

She came off after an hour to a roar from the home crowd and the enthusiastic voice of the stadium announcer proclaiming that she was “Southampton's very own”.

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.

“Their unwavering belief in my abilities made me feel prepared for the challenge ahead.

“Entering the England setup, I was aware I had to demonstrate my worth. The increased pace felt like a step up in class.”

Praise for a Complete Midfielder

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

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 “humble” Kendall conducts herself.

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

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

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