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

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

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

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

As the 21-year-old got to her feet, exhaling deeply and engulfed by her team-mates, a beaming smile lit up her face.

A Fairytale Homecoming

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

So when she scored at St Mary's Stadium on her return, and on only her third England appearance, it was the pinnacle of her career.

“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 remarked.

“It felt like it was written [in the stars]. It was so special. I got flooded with emotion really.”

A Meteoric Ascent

It may have been Southampton who “shaped” Kendall, but a crucial decision aged 15 proved pivotal to her future.

A proficient 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 presented a dilemma. Juggling both became impossible,” Kendall explained in a October 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 similar fashion.

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

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

In a matter of months, Kendall has quickly risen, securing a starting spot in the WSL and a call-up to the national team.

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

Exiting the pitch to applause, the announcer emphasized her deep connection to the club and city.

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 was incredibly beneficial.

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

“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.

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

Days after being called up by the Lionesses for the first time, Kendall was addressing 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