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

For Lucia Kendall, the feeling was comparable.

The England boss was discussing the instant the Villa player celebrated wildly following her debut international strike – early in a 2-0 victory over Ghana at St Mary's Stadium.

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

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

A Scripted Moment at a Familiar Ground

Kendall was “part of the furniture” at Southampton – a club where she had devoted ten years, graduating from their academy and making 103 appearances before joining Villa in July.

Consequently, scoring at her old stomping ground in only her third game for England was an magical experience.

“A really special moment for me to be able to do it here, where I grew up. This place made me into the player I am,” Kendall said.

“It appeared as though it was fate. It was so special. I got flooded with emotion really.”

‘Things Have Gone So Quickly’

It may have been Southampton who “shaped” Kendall, but a big decision aged 15 proved crucial to her future.

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

“It presented a dilemma. Juggling both became impossible,” Kendall said in a recent 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 realised I enjoy football a bit more.”

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

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

The second-tier club held on to her for as long as they could, but when her contract expired in the summer, Villa swooped to put her in the Women's Super League limelight.

In a matter of months, Kendall has rapidly ascended, 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,” 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.”

Kendall certainly enjoyed herself at St Mary's, hitting 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 came off after an hour to a ovation from the home crowd and the enthusiastic voice of the stadium announcer proclaiming that she was “Southampton's very own”.

With 29 Southampton goals to her name, she noted, “The faith and regular playing time I received from 16 was crucial.

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

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

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 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 integrated as if she’d always been there.

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