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

To Lucia Kendall, the moment felt just as significant.

The England boss was discussing the instant the Villa player ran off in jubilation following her debut international strike – six minutes into a win over Ghana at St Mary's Stadium.

“They are still doing some treatment on the grass!” she joked, in reference 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 Scripted Moment at a Familiar Ground

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.

Therefore, scoring at St Mary's upon her return 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 stated.

“It felt like it was written [in the stars]. It was so special. I got flooded with emotion really.”

A Rapid Rise to Prominence

Southampton laid the groundwork, yet a important decision made when she was 15 shaped her destiny.

Despite being a capable cricketer (her father played for Hampshire), the looming demands of senior football at Southampton forced her hand. She went with football.

“It presented a dilemma. Juggling both became impossible,” Kendall commented in a October media conference.

“Growing up, I had a passion for cricket. The decision was genuinely tough. 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 embarking on her own path with comparable attacking output.

Balancing her football at Southampton with university studies in psychology showcased the focus and ambition 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 pounced to put her in the Women's Super League spotlight.

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

“She shows consistency and that's not easy when you just come into a new environment and into the WSL with Aston Villa,” 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 came off after an hour to a ovation from the home crowd and the enthusiastic voice of the stadium announcer boasting that she was “Southampton's very own”.

Having netted 29 times for Southampton during her long tenure, she said, “My early exposure to senior football there from 16 was invaluable experience.

“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.”

Acknowledgment of Her Football Intelligence

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

The England manager wants to safeguard her exposure, citing the roles of both media and club, but is reassured by the player’s humble 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.

According to Russo, Kendall’s assimilation was so smooth it seemed she’d was a veteran presence.

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