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“Her celebration was worthy of a Champions League triumph,” remarked England coach Sarina Wiegman with a laugh.

And for Lucia Kendall, it felt incredibly close.

Wiegman was describing the moment the Aston Villa midfielder sprinted off into the corner after slotting 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 added, referring to Kendall’s immaculate knee slide.

Getting up from her slide, Kendall looked around with cheeks puffed and a huge grin.

A Scripted Moment at a Familiar Ground

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

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

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

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

A Rapid Rise to Prominence

While Southampton was instrumental in her development, a significant choice at 15 determined her trajectory.

Despite being a capable cricketer (her father had a career with Hampshire), the looming demands of senior football at Southampton forced her hand. She went with football.

“It was a tough call. I simply couldn't manage both,” Kendall explained in a previous 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.”

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

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 spotlight.

Her rapid progress has seen her become a WSL fixture and an England international in a short space of time.

“Displaying consistency is challenging for any new arrival in the WSL, but she has managed it,” admitted 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.”

Her performance was eye-catching; she came close to scoring again and nearly crafted another chance, preceding Russo’s spot-kick.

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

With 29 Southampton goals to her name, she noted, “The trust and consistent playing time I received from 16 made all the difference.

“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.”

Acknowledgment of Her Football Intelligence

Kendall has made an immediate impression at international level, with observers stating she has just “understands the game” 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 is.

Days after being called up by the Lionesses for the first time, Kendall was sitting in front of the media saying she was eager to impress, but also understood the need for the team's greater good and whatever role she needed to play in that.

According to Russo, Kendall’s integration was so smooth it seemed she’d was a veteran presence.

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