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

And for Lucia Kendall, it felt incredibly close.

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

“I think the pitch needs some attention after that!” she quipped, poking fun at Kendall’s perfect knee slide.

As the 21-year-old rose, with a look of disbelief and surrounded by her team-mates, a wide smile spread across her face.

A Dream Return to St Mary's

Having been “an integral part” 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 significant change.

Consequently, netting at her old stomping ground in only her third game for England was an unbelievable experience.

“It was a truly special moment to achieve this here, in my hometown. This place forged the player I am,” Kendall stated.

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

A Meteoric Ascent

Southampton laid the groundwork, yet a formative decision made when she was 15 shaped her destiny.

The gifted youngster was also a keen cricketer – her dad Will represented Hampshire – but eventually had to choose between the sports just as she was breaking into Southampton's first-team squad. She opted for football.

“It presented a dilemma. Juggling both became impossible,” Kendall explained in a October media conference.

“I adored cricket as a child. Making the choice was very hard. I went back and forth, but when the time came, I knew I enjoy football a bit more.”

Her idol growing up as a Chelsea fan was Frank Lampard – an England midfielder famed for his goalscoring prowess – and Kendall has started out in a similar fashion.

Juggling life at Southampton with a psychology degree at university, it was clear early on that Kendall had the determination and commitment to become a star.

The club fought to keep her, but with her deal up, Villa moved decisively to introduce her to the top flight.

In a matter of months, Kendall has quickly risen, securing a regular place 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 highlighted 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.

“The constant faith they placed in me gave me the confidence to take 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.”

‘Technically and Tactically, She Is a Very Strong Midfielder’

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

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

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.

Teammate Alessia Russo observed that Kendall integrated as if she’d been a long-term member.

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