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

And for Lucia Kendall, it felt incredibly close.

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

“They are still doing some treatment on the grass!” she added, poking fun at Kendall’s flawless knee slide.

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

A Scripted Moment at a Familiar Ground

Having been “an integral part” of Southampton for ten years, where she came up through 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 incredible experience.

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

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

A Rapid Rise to Prominence

While Southampton was instrumental in her development, a critical choice at 15 determined her trajectory.

The gifted youngster was also a keen cricketer – her dad Will represented Hampshire – but eventually had to pick one of 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 commented in a October media conference.

“Growing up, I had a passion for cricket. The decision was genuinely tough. 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 dedication to become a star.

Southampton kept their prized asset for the maximum time, but upon her contract expiry, Villa secured her signature to the WSL.

Within months the Winchester-born player has risen to prominence, becoming a consistent starter in the top flight and breaking into the England squad.

“Maintaining her level immediately in a new league and club is difficult, yet she has done so,” 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.”

Her performance was notable; she came close to scoring again and nearly crafted another chance, preceding Russo’s spot-kick.

She was substituted after an hour to a roar from the home crowd and the excited voice of the stadium announcer proclaiming 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 stood me in really good stead.

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

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

Praise for a Complete Midfielder

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

Wiegman is keen 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 is.

Days after being called up by the Lionesses for the first time, Kendall was addressing 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 been part of the group for ages.

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