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

And for Lucia Kendall, it felt incredibly close.

Wiegman was recalling the moment the Aston Villa midfielder dashed into the corner after slotting her first Lionesses goal – early in a triumph over Ghana at St Mary's Stadium.

“I think the pitch needs some attention after that!” she quipped, poking fun at Kendall’s perfect knee slide.

Rising to her feet within her celebrating colleagues, the young player showed an expression of overwhelming happiness.

A Scripted Moment at a Familiar Ground

Southampton was her home for ten years; she was a core player there after coming through the academy and making 103 appearances prior to her summer transfer to Aston Villa.

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 made me into the player I am,” Kendall said.

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

A Meteoric Ascent

It may have been Southampton who “made” Kendall, but a major decision aged 15 proved pivotal to her future.

The talented youngster was also a accomplished cricketer – her dad Will played for Hampshire – but ultimately 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 said in a October 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 knew I enjoy football a bit more.”

A Chelsea supporter, her childhood hero was the prolific England midfielder Frank Lampard, and Kendall’s early career is echoing that goalscoring trend.

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

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

Her meteoric rise has seen her become a WSL fixture and an England international in a very brief period.

“Displaying consistency is challenging for any new arrival in the WSL, but she has managed it,” said Wiegman.

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

Her performance was eye-catching; she struck the woodwork and nearly crafted another chance, preceding Russo’s spot-kick.

Her substitution on the hour mark was met with a resounding reception from fans and an announcer proudly declaring her local roots.

With 29 Southampton goals to her name, she commented, “The trust and consistent playing time I received from 16 was crucial.

“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.”

‘Technically and Tactically, She Is a Very Strong Midfielder’

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

While mindful of protecting her young star, Wiegman is confident due to Kendall’s grounded and professional attitude.

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 assimilation was so smooth it seemed she’d been part of the group for ages.

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