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

And for Lucia Kendall, it felt incredibly close.

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.

“The ground staff might need to repair that turf!” she joked, in reference to Kendall’s perfect knee slide.

Rising to her feet amidst her celebrating colleagues, the young player displayed an expression of utter disbelief.

A Dream Return to St Mary's

Southampton was her home for a decade; she was a familiar face there after graduating from the academy and making 103 appearances prior to her summer transfer to Aston Villa.

So when she found the net at St Mary's Stadium on her homecoming, and on only her third England cap, it was the stuff of dreams.

“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 appeared as though it was fate. It was so special. I got consumed by emotion really.”

‘Things Have Gone So Quickly’

While Southampton played a key role in her development, a significant choice at 15 was vital for her prospects.

A proficient cricketer as well, with a father who was a cricketer for Hampshire, she was forced to decide between the two pursuits as her football career took off. Football was the choice.

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

Her idol growing up as a Chelsea fan was Frank Lampard – an England midfielder known for his goalscoring ability – and Kendall has begun her career in a similar fashion.

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

Southampton held onto their prized asset as long as possible, but upon her contract expiry, Villa signed her to the WSL.

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

“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, 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.

She came off 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 trust and regular playing time I received from 16 proved vital.

“It was the consistent trust they showed in me as a player and the belief. I felt like I was ready for [the next step].

“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.”

Acknowledgment of Her Football Intelligence

Kendall has made an immediate impression at international level, with pundits stating she has just “got it” as a midfielder and looks like a “born talent”.

While mindful of shielding her young star, Wiegman is confident due to Kendall’s humble and professional attitude.

Shortly after her maiden call-up, she spoke to reporters, expressing a desire to contribute while understanding the importance of the collective.

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

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