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“She reacted like a Champions League winner,” remarked England coach Sarina Wiegman with a laugh.

To Lucia Kendall, the moment was just as monumental.

Wiegman was reflecting on the moment the Aston Villa midfielder raced away into the corner after slotting her first Lionesses goal – early in a 2-0 victory 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 looked around with an amazed expression and a radiant grin.

A Dream Return to St Mary's

Kendall was “a fixture” at Southampton – a club where she had been for ten seasons, coming through their academy and making 103 games before joining Villa in July.

So when she saw the ball hit the back of the net at St Mary's Stadium on her return, and on only her third England appearance, it was the material of fairy tales.

“To do it here, where I was raised, was an immensely special moment. This place forged the player I am,” Kendall stated.

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

A Meteoric Ascent

It may have been Southampton who “developed” Kendall, but a major decision at the age of 15 proved decisive to her future.

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 chose football.

“It was a tough call. I simply couldn't manage both,” Kendall said 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.”

Her idol growing up as a Chelsea fan was Frank Lampard – an England midfielder renowned for his goalscoring prowess – and Kendall has started out in a similar fashion.

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

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

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

“She shows consistency and that's not easy when you just come into a new environment and into the WSL with Aston Villa,” said 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 was influential, later rattling the bar and nearly creating a goal for Kearns, prior to Russo’s late penalty.

Exiting the pitch to acclaim, the announcer highlighted her deep connection to the club and city.

With 29 Southampton goals to her name, she noted, “The faith and consistent playing time I received from 16 proved vital.

“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.”

Praise for a Complete Midfielder

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

The England manager wants to safeguard her exposure, citing the roles of both media and club, but is reassured by the player’s humble nature.

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

Teammate Alessia Russo remarked that Kendall settled as if she’d been a long-term member.

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