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

For Lucia Kendall, the feeling was comparable.

Wiegman was describing the moment the Aston Villa midfielder raced away into the corner after slotting her first Lionesses goal – early in a triumph over Ghana at St Mary's Stadium.

“I think the pitch needs some attention after that!” she added, referring to Kendall’s flawless knee slide.

As the 21-year-old rose, with a look of disbelief and engulfed by her team-mates, a wide smile lit up her face.

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 playing 103 games before moving to Villa in July.

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

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

A Meteoric Ascent

Southampton built her foundation, yet a important decision made when she was 15 shaped her destiny.

The gifted youngster was also a avid cricketer – her dad Will played for Hampshire – but eventually had to choose between the sports just as she was earning a place in Southampton's first-team squad. She opted for football.

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

Her idol growing up as a Chelsea fan was Frank Lampard – an England midfielder renowned for his goalscoring ability – and Kendall has begun her career in a similar fashion.

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

Southampton held onto their prized asset for the maximum time, but upon her contract expiry, Villa signed her to the WSL.

In a matter of months, Kendall has quickly risen, securing a regular place in the WSL and a call-up to the national team.

“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 setting up Villa team-mate Missy Bo Kearns for a goal, before Alessia Russo added a second with an injury-time penalty.

Her substitution on the hour mark was met with a loud reception from fans and an announcer proudly declaring her local roots.

Having netted 29 times for Southampton during her long tenure, she reflected, “My early exposure to senior football there from 16 set me up perfectly.

“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.”

Praise for a Complete Midfielder

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

Wiegman is keen 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.

Teammate Alessia Russo observed that Kendall integrated as if she’d always been there.

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