""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, it was the stuff of dreams."
Lucia Kendall scored her first England goal six minutes into the 2-0 win over Ghana at St Mary's Stadium and celebrated with an exuberant knee slide. England manager Sarina Wiegman praised the celebration and joked about grass treatment. Kendall spent a decade at Southampton, playing 103 games before transferring to Aston Villa in July. The 21-year-old described scoring at her hometown ground as overwhelming and special. A decisive choice at age 15 to pursue football over cricket, despite a family connection to cricket through her father Will, proved pivotal to her career.
Read at www.bbc.com
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