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

To Lucia Kendall, the moment felt just as significant.

This comment came as Wiegman spoke about the young midfielder’s ecstatic reaction to her maiden England goal – six minutes into a win over Ghana at St Mary's Stadium.

“They are still doing some treatment on the grass!” she joked, referring to Kendall’s flawless knee slide.

As the 21-year-old got to her feet, with a look of disbelief and surrounded by her team-mates, a broad smile spread across her face.

A Dream Return to St Mary's

Southampton was her home for a decade; she was a familiar face there after coming through the academy and racking up 103 appearances prior to her summer transfer to Aston Villa.

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

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

“It appeared as though it was fate. It was so special. I got consumed by emotion really.”

A Meteoric Ascent

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

A proficient cricketer as well, with a father who was a cricketer for Hampshire, she faced a choice between the two pursuits as her football career began to flourish. Football won out.

“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 understood I enjoy football a bit more.”

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

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

The club did their utmost to keep her, but with her deal up, Villa moved decisively to introduce her to the top flight.

Within months the Winchester-born player has risen to prominence, becoming a consistent starter in the top flight and breaking into the England squad.

“Displaying consistency is challenging for any new arrival in the WSL, but she has managed it,” said 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 setting up Villa team-mate Missy Bo Kearns for a goal, before Alessia Russo added a second with an injury-time penalty.

She was substituted after an hour to a ovation from the home crowd and the enthusiastic 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 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 understood the need to justify my selection at international level, where the tempo is higher, akin to moving up a league.”

Praise for a Complete Midfielder

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

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

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.

Arsenal striker Alessia Russo said it felt like Kendall had “was an old hand” as she integrated seamlessly into the squad.

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