‘Celebrating like a Champions League champion’ - Kendall’s memorable night for England

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

To Lucia Kendall, the moment was just as monumental.

This comment came as Wiegman recalled the young midfielder’s ecstatic reaction to her maiden England goal – early in a win over Ghana at St Mary's Stadium.

“The ground staff might need to repair that turf!” she joked, referring to Kendall’s flawless knee slide.

Getting up from her slide, Kendall looked around with cheeks puffed and a massive grin.

A Scripted Moment at a Familiar Ground

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

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

“To do it here, where I was raised, was an immensely special moment. This place forged the player I am,” Kendall said.

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

‘Things Have Gone So Quickly’

Southampton laid the groundwork, yet a important decision made when she was 15 shaped her destiny.

The gifted youngster was also a keen cricketer – her dad Will played for Hampshire – but eventually had to choose between the sports just as she was breaking into Southampton's first-team squad. She chose football.

“It presented a dilemma. Juggling both became impossible,” Kendall commented in a recent media conference.

“I loved playing cricket growing up. It was a really difficult decision. I went back and forth, but when the time came, I realised I enjoy football a bit more.”

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

Balancing her football at Southampton with university studies in psychology highlighted the discipline and dedication needed to excel.

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

Within months the Winchester-born player has established herself, becoming a regular in the top flight and earning a place in the England squad.

“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.

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

Kendall certainly enjoyed herself at St Mary's, striking 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 enthusiastic voice of the stadium announcer proclaiming 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 provided a solid base.

“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 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

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

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

In her early interactions with the press, she emphasized her willingness to fulfill any role for the benefit of the team.

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

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