‘Celebrating like a Champions League champion’ - Kendall’s special performance for England

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

To Lucia Kendall, the moment felt just as significant.

This comment came as Wiegman recalled the young midfielder’s ecstatic reaction to her maiden England goal – early in a triumph over Ghana at St Mary's Stadium.

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

As the 21-year-old got to her feet, puffing out her cheeks and engulfed by her team-mates, a broad smile spread across her face.

A Scripted Moment at a Familiar Ground

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

Consequently, netting 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 forged the player I am,” Kendall stated.

“It seemed destined to happen. It was so special. I got consumed by emotion really.”

A Meteoric Ascent

While Southampton played a key role in her development, a life-altering choice at 15 determined her trajectory.

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

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

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

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

The second-tier club retained her for as long as they could, but when her contract expired in the summer, Villa acted quickly to put her in the Women's Super League arena.

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.

“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, 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.

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

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 was incredibly beneficial.

“Their unwavering belief in my abilities made me feel prepared for the challenge ahead.

“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’

At the highest level, she has immediately looked the part, described as a natural midfielder who “understands”.

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