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“Her celebration was worthy of a Champions League triumph,” said England manager Sarina Wiegman with a grin.

For Lucia Kendall, the feeling was comparable.

The England boss was discussing the instant the Villa player ran off in jubilation following her debut international strike – six minutes into a triumph over Ghana at St Mary's Stadium.

“They are still doing some treatment on the grass!” she quipped, referring to Kendall’s immaculate knee slide.

As the 21-year-old stood up, exhaling deeply and surrounded by her team-mates, a wide smile lit up her face.

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.

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

“It seemed destined to happen. It was so special. I got consumed by emotion really.”

A Meteoric Ascent

It may have been Southampton who “made” Kendall, but a big decision at the age of 15 proved pivotal to her future.

A skilled 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 was an interesting one. There was no time for me to do both anymore,” Kendall explained in a recent 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.”

A Chelsea supporter, her idol was the prolific England midfielder Frank Lampard, and Kendall’s early career is echoing that goalscoring trend.

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

Southampton kept their prized asset as long as possible, but upon her contract expiry, Villa brought her in 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,” admitted 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, striking 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.

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

With 29 Southampton goals to her name, she noted, “The faith and consistent playing time I received from 16 made all the difference.

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

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

Acknowledgment of Her Football Intelligence

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”.

While mindful of shielding her young star, Wiegman is unworried due to Kendall’s grounded and focused attitude.

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

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

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