🔗 Share this article

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

To Lucia Kendall, the moment carried similar weight.

Wiegman was describing the moment the Aston Villa midfielder sprinted off into the corner after slotting her first Lionesses goal – six minutes into a win over Ghana at St Mary's Stadium.

“They are still doing some treatment on the grass!” she added, poking fun at Kendall’s flawless knee slide.

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

A Fairytale Homecoming

Having been “a staple” of Southampton for a decade, where she progressed from the youth ranks to play over a century of games, her summer switch to Villa was a major move.

Therefore, scoring at St Mary's upon her homecoming and during just her third international match felt unreal.

“A really special moment for me to be able to do it here, where I grew up. This place shaped 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.”

A Rapid Rise to Prominence

While Southampton played a key role in her development, a critical choice at 15 determined her trajectory.

A skilled 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 was a tough call. I simply couldn't manage both,” Kendall explained in a previous 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 famed for his goalscoring talent – and Kendall has begun her career in a comparable fashion.

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

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 arena.

Her rapid progress has seen her become a WSL regular 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,” noted Wiegman.

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

The midfielder was influential, later hitting the bar and coming close to providing an assist for Kearns, prior to Russo’s late penalty.

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

Having netted 29 times for Southampton during her long tenure, she reflected, “My early exposure to senior football there from 16 set me up perfectly.

“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.”

‘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.

Wiegman is eager to shield her, saying the media can play a role in that and so can Villa, but she has no concerns because of how “down-to-earth” Kendall conducts herself.

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