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

To Lucia Kendall, the moment was just as monumental.

This comment came as Wiegman recalled the young midfielder’s elated reaction to her maiden England goal – early in a win over Ghana at St Mary's Stadium.

“They are still doing some treatment on the grass!” she joked, in reference to Kendall’s perfect knee slide.

Getting up from her slide, Kendall took in the moment with cheeks puffed and a massive grin.

A Fairytale Homecoming

Having been “a staple” of Southampton for ten years, where she progressed from the youth ranks to play over a century of games, her summer switch to Villa was a significant change.

Consequently, scoring at her old stomping ground in only her third game for England was an incredible moment.

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

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

‘Things Have Gone So Quickly’

Southampton built her foundation, yet a important decision made when she was 15 proved to be a turning point.

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 began to flourish. Football won out.

“It was a tough call. I simply couldn't manage both,” 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 understood I enjoy football a bit more.”

Growing up admiring Chelsea and Frank Lampard’s goal-getting midfield exploits, Kendall is embarking on her own path with similar attacking output.

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

The club did their utmost to keep her, but with her deal up, Villa moved decisively to bring her to the top flight.

Her meteoric rise has seen her become a WSL fixture and an England international in a short space of time.

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

“Things have gone so quickly so fast, but she just keeps up her levels and shows she is a good player - and that is impressive.”

The midfielder had a lively game, later hitting the bar and coming close to providing an assist for Kearns, prior to Russo’s late penalty.

She came off after an hour to a roar from the home crowd and the excited voice of the stadium announcer boasting 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 gave me a great foundation.

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

“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.”

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 “natural”.

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 “down-to-earth” Kendall acts.

Days after being called up by the Lionesses for the first time, Kendall was sitting in front of 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.

According to Russo, Kendall’s integration was so smooth it seemed she’d was a veteran presence.

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