🔗 Share this article

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

For Lucia Kendall, the feeling was comparable.

This comment came as Wiegman recalled the young midfielder’s elated reaction to her maiden England goal – early in a 2-0 victory over Ghana at St Mary's Stadium.

“I think the pitch needs some attention after that!” she quipped, poking fun at Kendall’s perfect knee slide.

Getting up from her slide, Kendall looked around with an amazed expression and a massive grin.

A Fairytale Homecoming

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 significant change.

Therefore, scoring at St Mary's upon her homecoming and during just her third international match felt dreamlike.

“It was a truly special moment to achieve this here, in my hometown. This place made me into the player I am,” Kendall remarked.

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

‘Things Have Gone So Quickly’

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

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

“It was an interesting one. There was no time for me to do both anymore,” Kendall said in a October media conference.

“I adored cricket as a child. Making the choice was very hard. I went back and forth, but when the time came, I realised I enjoy football a bit more.”

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

Balancing her football at Southampton with university studies in psychology demonstrated the focus and dedication needed to excel.

The second-tier club retained 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.

Within months the Winchester-born player has made a name for herself, becoming a consistent starter in the top flight and earning a place in the England squad.

“Maintaining her level immediately in a new league and club is difficult, yet she has done so,” admitted Wiegman.

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

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 cheer from the home crowd and the excited 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.

“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.”

Praise for a Complete Midfielder

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

Wiegman is keen 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 conducts herself.

Days after being called up by the Lionesses for the first time, Kendall was addressing 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.

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

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