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“Her celebration was worthy of a Champions League triumph,” noted England boss Sarina Wiegman with a laugh.

To Lucia Kendall, the moment felt just as significant.

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

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

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

A Scripted Moment at a Familiar Ground

Kendall was “part of the furniture” at Southampton – a club where she had been for ten seasons, rising through their academy and playing 103 appearances before joining Villa in July.

Therefore, scoring at St Mary's upon her return and during just her third international match felt extraordinarily special.

“A really special moment for me to be able to do it here, where I grew up. This place forged the player I am,” Kendall stated.

“It seemed destined to happen. It was so special. I got flooded with emotion really.”

A Rapid Rise to Prominence

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

Despite being a capable cricketer (her father had a career with Hampshire), the looming demands of senior football at Southampton forced her hand. She went with football.

“It presented a dilemma. Juggling both became impossible,” Kendall said 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.”

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

Her ability to manage first-team football alongside a psychology degree signaled the mental fortitude and commitment required for the top level.

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

Her meteoric rise has seen her become a WSL regular 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,” noted Wiegman.

“The pace of her rise has been breathtaking, yet she maintains her performance standard, proving her quality impressively.”

Her performance was notable; she struck the woodwork and nearly crafted another chance, preceding Russo’s spot-kick.

Her substitution on the hour mark was met with a loud reception from fans and an announcer proudly declaring her local roots.

With 29 Southampton goals to her name, she commented, “The faith 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 understood the need to justify my selection at international level, where the tempo is higher, akin to moving up a league.”

Praise for a Complete Midfielder

At the highest level, she has appeared comfortable, described as a natural midfielder who “understands”.

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

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

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

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