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“She celebrated as if she had won the Champions League,” said England boss Sarina Wiegman with a grin.

For Lucia Kendall, the feeling was remarkably similar.

Wiegman was recalling the moment the Aston Villa midfielder sprinted off into the corner after netting her first Lionesses goal – during the opening stages of a 2-0 victory over Ghana at St Mary's Stadium.

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

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

A Scripted Moment at a Familiar Ground

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 scored at St Mary's Stadium on her homecoming, and on only her third England appearance, it was the stuff of dreams.

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

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

‘Things Have Gone So Quickly’

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

A skilled cricketer as well, with a father who played county cricket for Hampshire, she was forced to decide between the two pursuits as her football career began to flourish. Football won out.

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

Growing up admiring Chelsea and Frank Lampard’s goal-getting midfield exploits, Kendall is embarking on her own path with comparable attacking output.

Juggling life at Southampton with a psychology degree at university, it was clear early on that Kendall had the determination and commitment to become a star.

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

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

“Maintaining her level immediately in a new league and club is difficult, yet she has done so,” 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 teeing up Villa team-mate Missy Bo Kearns for a goal, before Alessia Russo added a second with an injury-time penalty.

She was substituted after an hour to a cheer from the home crowd and the excited voice of the stadium announcer boasting that she was “Southampton's very own”.

Having netted 29 times for Southampton during her long tenure, she reflected, “My early exposure to senior football there from 16 was invaluable experience.

“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.”

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

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”.

Wiegman is eager to protect 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.

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.

Arsenal striker Alessia Russo said it felt like Kendall had “been here for years” as she slotted straight into the squad.

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