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

And for Lucia Kendall, it was a near-equivalent experience.

The England boss was discussing the instant the Villa player celebrated wildly following her debut international strike – during the opening stages of a 2-0 victory over Ghana at St Mary's Stadium.

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

As the 21-year-old rose, puffing out her cheeks and surrounded by her team-mates, a wide smile lit up her face.

A Fairytale Homecoming

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

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

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

‘Things Have Gone So Quickly’

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

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

“It was a tough call. I simply couldn't manage both,” Kendall commented in a October 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 knew I enjoy football a bit more.”

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

Her ability to handle first-team football alongside a psychology degree was evidence of the mental fortitude and commitment required for the top level.

The club fought to keep her, but with her deal up, Villa seized the opportunity to introduce her to the top flight.

In a matter of months, Kendall has rapidly ascended, securing a starting spot 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,” said Wiegman.

“The pace of her rise has been breathtaking, yet she maintains her performance standard, proving her quality impressively.”

The midfielder was influential, later hitting the bar and nearly creating a goal for Kearns, prior to Russo’s late penalty.

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

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

“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 instant impression at international level, with pundits stating she has just “understands the game” as a midfielder and looks like a “born talent”.

While mindful of shielding her young star, Wiegman is confident due to Kendall’s grounded and focused attitude.

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.

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

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