'As if she won the Champions League' - Kendall's special night

"She celebrated as if she had won the Champions League," said England boss Sarina Wiegman with a smile.

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

Wiegman was reflecting on the moment the Aston Villa midfielder sprinted off into the corner after scoring her first Lionesses goal - six minutes into their 2-0 win over Ghana at St Mary's Stadium.

"They are still doing some treatment on the grass!" she added with a joke, referring to Kendall's immaculate knee slide.

As the 21-year-old got to her feet, puffing out her cheeks in disbelief and surrounded by all of her team-mates, there was a broad smile on her face.

Kendall was "part of the furniture" at Southampton - a club where she had spent a decade, graduating from their academy and playing 103 games before she joined Villa in July.

So when she saw the ball hit the back of the net at St Mary's Stadium on her return, and on only her third England appearance, it was the stuff of dreams.

"A really special moment for me to be able to do it here, where I grew up. This place made me into the player I am," Kendall told ITV.

"It felt like it was written [in the stars]. It was so special. I got overwhelmed with emotion really."

'Things have gone so quickly so fast'

It may have been Southampton who "made" Kendall, but a big decision aged 15 proved crucial to her future.

The talented youngster was also a keen cricketer - her dad Will played for Hampshire - but eventually had to choose between the sports just as she was breaking into Southampton's first-team squad. She opted for football.

"It was an interesting one. There was no time for me to do both anymore," Kendall said in her first England media conference in October.

"I loved playing cricket growing up. It was a really difficult decision. I went back and forth, but when the time came, I [realised] I enjoy football a bit more."

Her idol growing up as a Chelsea fan was Frank Lampard - an England midfielder known for his goalscoring prowess - and Kendall has started out in a similar fashion.

Juggling life at Southampton with a psychology degree at university, it was clear early on that Kendall had the drive and dedication 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 pounced to put her in the Women's Super League spotlight.

Within months Winchester-born Kendall has made a name for herself, becoming a regular in the top flight and breaking into the England squad.

"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.

"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, 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.

She came off after an hour to a roar from the home crowd and the enthusiastic voice of the stadium announcer boasting that she was "Southampton's very own".

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'

Kendall has made an instant impression at international level, with former England striker Ian Wright stating she has just "got it" as a midfielder and looked like a "natural".

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 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.

Arsenal striker Russo said it felt like Kendall had "been here for years" as she slotted straight into the squad.

"This team's just gone on to win back-to-back Euros, so to be able to be in and around them and be in their environment is something I really didn't think I'd get to do so soon," admitted Kendall.

"I take a while to come out of my shell. I play the piano, I do a university degree in psychology. I like to keep football to football, not letting it take over my whole life.

"I like to cook, spend time with my friends and family. I wouldn't say I do too much. I just enjoy a peaceful life; a quiet life."

Having coached her at Southampton, Marieanne Spacey-Cale knows Kendall well and described her mentality as "spot on" to play for her country.

"I knew as soon as I met her. She is ambitious and a very grounded, very humble young woman," the former Arsenal and England forward told ITV.

"She knows what she wants and how to get there. She is an intelligent player. For someone as young as her, she absolutely understands [the game].

"She can make lung-bursting runs forward and she can defend. Technically and tactically, she is a very strong midfield player.

"She has made a lot of mistakes but has been in a very safe environment to make them and that's helped her grow. I have been super impressed."