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

For Lucia Kendall, the feeling was remarkably similar.

The England boss was discussing the instant the Villa player celebrated wildly following her debut international strike – early in a win over Ghana at St Mary's Stadium.

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

Rising to her feet within her celebrating colleagues, the young player displayed an expression of utter disbelief.

A Dream Return to St Mary's

Southampton was her home for ten years; she was a familiar face there after graduating from the academy and racking up 103 appearances prior to her July move to Aston Villa.

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

“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 remarked.

“It seemed destined to happen. It was so special. I got flooded with emotion really.”

A Rapid Rise to Prominence

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

The gifted youngster was also a keen cricketer – her dad Will represented Hampshire – but eventually had to pick one of the sports just as she was earning a place in Southampton's first-team squad. She chose 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 understood I enjoy football a bit more.”

Her idol growing up as a Chelsea fan was Frank Lampard – an England midfielder known for his goalscoring prowess – and Kendall has started out in a like 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.

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

Her meteoric rise has seen her become a WSL regular and an England international in a short space of time.

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

Kendall certainly enjoyed herself at St Mary's, hitting the crossbar later in the first half and almost teeing 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 said, “My early exposure to senior football there from 16 was invaluable experience.

“Their unwavering belief in my abilities made me feel prepared for the challenge ahead.

“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

At the highest level, she has appeared comfortable, described as a gifted midfielder who “understands”.

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

Shortly after her maiden call-up, she faced reporters, expressing a desire to contribute while understanding the importance of the collective.

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

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