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

To Lucia Kendall, the moment was just as monumental.

This comment came as Wiegman spoke about the young midfielder’s elated reaction to her maiden England goal – during the opening stages of a 2-0 victory over Ghana at St Mary's Stadium.

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

Rising to her feet amidst her celebrating colleagues, the young player displayed an expression of pure joy.

A Scripted Moment at a Familiar Ground

Having been “an integral part” of Southampton for ten years, where she progressed from the youth ranks to play over a century of games, her summer switch to Villa was a big step.

So when she found the net at St Mary's Stadium on her return, and on only her third England cap, it was the material of fairy tales.

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

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

A Meteoric Ascent

Southampton laid the groundwork, yet a formative decision made when she was 15 shaped her destiny.

The talented youngster was also a avid 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 opted for football.

“It was an interesting one. There was no time for me to do both anymore,” Kendall explained in a previous 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.”

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

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

The club fought 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 fixture 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,” admitted Wiegman.

“Everything has happened at breakneck speed, but her ability to sustain her high standards is truly notable.”

Kendall certainly enjoyed herself at St Mary's, hitting 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.

She came off after an hour to a cheer from the home crowd and the enthusiastic voice of the stadium announcer boasting 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 gave me a great foundation.

“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

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”.

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

Shortly after her maiden call-up, she spoke to reporters, expressing a desire to contribute while acknowledging the importance of the collective.

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