‘As if she had won the Champions League’ - Kendall’s unforgettable evening for England

“She reacted like a Champions League winner,” said England boss Sarina Wiegman with a smile.

And for Lucia Kendall, it felt incredibly close.

The England boss was commenting on the instant the Villa player ran off in jubilation following her debut international strike – six minutes into a win over Ghana at St Mary's Stadium.

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

As the 21-year-old got to her feet, with a look of disbelief and surrounded by her team-mates, a wide smile spread across her face.

A Scripted Moment at a Familiar Ground

Kendall was “a fixture” at Southampton – a club where she had devoted ten years, rising through their academy and playing 103 games before moving to Villa in July.

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.

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

“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 played a key role in her development, a significant choice at 15 determined her trajectory.

The talented youngster was also a accomplished cricketer – her dad Will represented Hampshire – but ultimately had to pick one of the sports just as she was breaking into Southampton's first-team squad. She chose football.

“It was an interesting one. There was no time for me to do both anymore,” Kendall said in a October 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 knew I enjoy football a bit more.”

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

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

Southampton kept their prized asset as long as possible, but upon her contract expiry, Villa secured her signature to the WSL.

In a matter of months, Kendall has quickly risen, securing a regular place in the WSL and a call-up to the national team.

“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, striking the crossbar later in the first half and almost setting up Villa team-mate Missy Bo Kearns for a goal, before Alessia Russo added a second with an injury-time 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 regular playing time I received from 16 proved vital.

“The constant faith they placed in me gave me the confidence to take 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.”

‘Technically and Tactically, She Is a Very Strong Midfielder’

Kendall has made an instant impression at international level, with pundits stating she has just “got it” 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 conducts herself.

Shortly after her maiden call-up, she spoke to reporters, expressing a desire to contribute while acknowledging 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