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“She celebrated as if she had won the Champions League,” said England manager Sarina Wiegman with a laugh.

To Lucia Kendall, the moment was just as monumental.

Wiegman was reflecting on the moment the Aston Villa midfielder dashed into the corner after slotting her first Lionesses goal – six minutes into a 2-0 victory over Ghana at St Mary's Stadium.

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

As the 21-year-old got to her feet, with a look of disbelief and mobbed by her team-mates, a wide smile appeared on her face.

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.

So when she scored at St Mary's Stadium on her return, and on only her third England appearance, it was the stuff of dreams.

“To do it here, where I was raised, was an immensely special moment. This place made me into the player I am,” Kendall remarked.

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

‘Things Have Gone So Quickly’

It may have been Southampton who “shaped” Kendall, but a big decision aged 15 proved crucial to her future.

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 earning a place in Southampton's first-team squad. She chose football.

“It was a tough call. I simply couldn't manage both,” Kendall explained in a recent 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 ability – and Kendall has started out in a comparable fashion.

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

The second-tier club held on to her for as long as they could, but when her contract expired in the summer, Villa swooped to put her in the Women's Super League limelight.

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

“Maintaining her level immediately in a new league and club is difficult, yet she has done so,” 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, hitting 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 proclaiming that she was “Southampton's very own”.

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 stood me in really good stead.

“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.”

Praise for a Complete Midfielder

Kendall has made an immediate impression at international level, with pundits stating she has just “has the quality” as a midfielder and looks like a “natural”.

The England manager aims to safeguard 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 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.

Teammate Alessia Russo observed that Kendall settled as if she’d been a long-term member.

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