🔗 Share this article

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

And for Lucia Kendall, it wasn't far off.

Wiegman was reflecting on the moment the Aston Villa midfielder raced away into the corner after scoring 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 quipped, referring to Kendall’s perfect knee slide.

As the 21-year-old rose, with a look of disbelief and engulfed by her team-mates, a broad smile lit up her face.

A Scripted Moment at a Familiar Ground

Kendall was “a mainstay” at Southampton – a club where she had spent a decade, graduating from their academy and playing 103 appearances before moving to Villa in July.

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

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

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

A Rapid Rise to Prominence

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

A skilled cricketer as well, with a father who was a cricketer for Hampshire, she was forced to decide between the two pursuits as her football career took off. Football was the choice.

“It was a tough call. I simply couldn't manage both,” Kendall commented 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 knew I enjoy football a bit more.”

Growing up admiring Chelsea and Frank Lampard’s goal-getting midfield exploits, Kendall is starting her own path with similar attacking instincts.

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

The second-tier club retained 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.

Her rapid progress has seen her become a WSL regular and an England international in a short space of time.

“She shows consistency and that's not easy when you just come into a new environment and into the WSL with Aston Villa,” noted Wiegman.

“Things have gone so quickly so fast, but she just keeps up her levels and shows she is a good player - and that is impressive.”

Kendall certainly enjoyed herself at St Mary's, striking 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.

She came off after an hour to a cheer from the home crowd and the excited voice of the stadium announcer boasting that she was “Southampton's very own”.

With 29 Southampton goals to her name, she commented, “The faith and consistent playing time I received from 16 proved vital.

“Their unwavering belief in my abilities made me feel prepared for the challenge ahead.

“I understood the need to justify my selection at international level, where the tempo is higher, akin to moving up a league.”

Acknowledgment of Her Football Intelligence

Kendall has made an instant impression at international level, with observers stating she has just “got it” as a midfielder and looks like a “natural”.

The England manager wants 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 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 been a long-term member.

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