🔗 Share this article

“She celebrated as if she had won the Champions League,” noted England coach Sarina Wiegman with a smile.

To Lucia Kendall, the moment was just as monumental.

This comment came as Wiegman recalled the young midfielder’s joyous 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 immaculate knee slide.

Getting up from her slide, Kendall looked around with an amazed expression and a massive grin.

A Fairytale Homecoming

Southampton was her home for a decade; she was a core player there after graduating from the academy and making 103 appearances prior to her summer transfer to Aston Villa.

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

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

“It seemed destined to happen. It was so special. I got overwhelmed with emotion really.”

A Meteoric Ascent

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

The gifted youngster was also a accomplished cricketer – her dad Will played for Hampshire – but eventually had to pick one of 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 knew I enjoy football a bit more.”

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

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

The club fought to keep her, but with her deal up, Villa moved decisively to bring her to the top flight.

In a matter of months, Kendall has rapidly ascended, securing a regular place in the WSL and a call-up to the national team.

“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 teeing up Villa team-mate Missy Bo Kearns for a goal, before Alessia Russo added a second with an injury-time penalty.

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

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.

“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.”

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

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

Wiegman is keen to protect her, saying the media can play a role in that and so can Villa, but she has no concerns because of how “humble” Kendall acts.

Days after being called up by the Lionesses for the first time, Kendall was addressing the media saying she was eager 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 always been there.

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