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“She reacted like a Champions League winner,” said England boss Sarina Wiegman with a laugh.

To Lucia Kendall, the moment carried similar weight.

The England boss was discussing the instant the Villa player celebrated wildly following her debut international strike – six minutes into a triumph over Ghana at St Mary's Stadium.

“I think the pitch needs some attention after that!” she added, poking fun at Kendall’s flawless 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

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 homecoming and during just her third international match felt extraordinarily special.

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

“It seemed destined to happen. It was so special. I got overwhelmed 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 accomplished cricketer – her dad Will represented Hampshire – but eventually had to choose between the sports just as she was earning a place in Southampton's first-team squad. She opted for football.

“It presented a dilemma. Juggling both became impossible,” Kendall explained 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 knew 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.

Juggling life at Southampton with a psychology degree at university, it was clear early on that Kendall had the drive and dedication to become a star.

The second-tier club retained her for as long as they could, but when her contract expired in the summer, Villa pounced 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 short space of time.

“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.”

Kendall certainly enjoyed herself at St Mary's, striking 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.

Exiting the pitch to acclaim, the announcer highlighted her deep connection to the club and city.

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

At the highest level, she has immediately looked the part, described as a gifted midfielder who “has it”.

Wiegman is eager 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 addressing 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 integration was so smooth it seemed she’d was a veteran presence.

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