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

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

This comment came as Wiegman spoke about the young midfielder’s elated reaction to her maiden England goal – 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 joked, in reference to Kendall’s perfect knee slide.

As the 21-year-old stood up, exhaling deeply and mobbed by her team-mates, a wide smile appeared on her face.

A Fairytale Homecoming

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

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

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

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

A Meteoric Ascent

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

The gifted youngster was also a accomplished cricketer – her dad Will played for Hampshire – but ultimately 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 understood I enjoy football a bit more.”

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

Her ability to manage first-team football alongside a psychology degree signaled the drive and dedication required for the top level.

Southampton kept their prized asset as long as possible, but upon her contract expiry, Villa brought her in to the WSL.

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

“She shows consistency and that's not easy when you just come into a new environment and into the WSL with Aston Villa,” 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.”

The midfielder had a lively game, 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.

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 was incredibly beneficial.

“The constant faith they placed in me gave me the confidence to take 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’

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”.

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 “humble” 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 keen 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