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

For Lucia Kendall, the feeling was remarkably similar.

The England boss was commenting on the instant the Villa player ran off in jubilation following her debut international strike – during the opening stages of a win over Ghana at St Mary's Stadium.

“They are still doing some treatment on the grass!” she joked, poking fun at Kendall’s perfect knee slide.

As the 21-year-old got to her feet, with a look of disbelief and mobbed by her team-mates, a wide smile appeared on her face.

A Scripted Moment at a Familiar Ground

Kendall was “a mainstay” at Southampton – a club where she had been for ten seasons, coming through their academy and making 103 appearances before moving to Villa in July.

So when she saw the ball hit the back of the net at St Mary's Stadium on her homecoming, and on only her third England cap, it was the pinnacle of her career.

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

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

A Rapid Rise to Prominence

It may have been Southampton who “developed” Kendall, but a big decision at the age of 15 proved decisive to her future.

Despite being a talented cricketer (her father played for Hampshire), the impending 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 commented in a previous 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 childhood hero was the prolific England midfielder Frank Lampard, and Kendall’s early career is echoing that goalscoring trend.

Juggling life at Southampton with a psychology degree at university, it was clear early on that Kendall had the work ethic 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 spotlight.

Her meteoric rise has seen her become a WSL fixture and an England international in a very brief period.

“Displaying consistency is challenging for any new arrival in the WSL, but she has managed it,” noted 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 setting 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 roar from the home crowd and the excited voice of the stadium announcer boasting that she was “Southampton's very own”.

Having scored 29 times for Southampton during her long tenure, she reflected, “My early exposure to senior football there from 16 was invaluable experience.

“It was the consistent trust they showed in me as a player and the belief. I felt like I was ready for [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.”

‘Technically and Tactically, She Is a Very Strong Midfielder’

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

The England manager wants to manage her exposure, citing the roles of both media and club, but is reassured by the player’s humble nature.

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 assimilation was so smooth it seemed she’d was a veteran presence.

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