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Lucia Kendall was already living the dream, slotting into life in the WSL after she joined Aston Villa from Southampton this summer with an ease that earned her a first senior call up in October. The 21-year-old made her full debut against Australia, remarkably picking up the player of the match trophy at the end of the 3-0 win.
In the cold and rain at St Mary’s against Ghana on Tuesday night, it took her just six minutes to ensure the dream remains a recurring one, slotting in from close range after Bénédicte Simon had scuffed her clearance from Chloe Kelly’s cross and the ball fell fortuitously at the midfielder’s feet.
It was a full circle moment, the Winchester-born Southampton academy graduate returned to the ground of the club that nurtured her to score England’s opener in the 2-0 win less than five months after she left the south-coast side to take the next step in her young but exciting career.
If there is a highlight to pick out from England’s “Homecoming Series”, their four friendlies to see out 2025 after that phenomenal and chaotic European title defence in the summer, it is the emergence of Kendall from the relatively anonymity of the under-23s team into the senior spotlight.
Her rise has been so rapid that England’s ever-present Lucy Bronze admitted she had not known who she was when asked about the joy and energy she gets from the young players who make the step up to the senior side.
“It’s been really fun,” the right-back said, after England’s hefty 8-0 defeat of China on Saturday. “Lucia is a great example. To be honest with you, I didn’t know who she was at the start of the season and she’s got a huge future ahead of her. I think she’s one of England’s stars in the future.”
Manager Sarina Wiegman was effusive in her praise for the dynamic midfielder. “She shows consistency. People think that it is really easy, but going from camp and the high demands back into club football and still keeping up her levels and keeping going is hard,” she said. “That’s what she does well, I’m happy with her performances and I think she’s enjoying herself too.”
Kendall’s emergence is a testament to an Under-23 side that Wiegman was keen to see relaunched in 2021 in order to better prepare players for the jump up to the senior side and at St Mary’s the manager made seven changes to the team that started the 8-0 defeat of China. Notably, Under-23 graduates Aggie Beever-Jones and Missy Bo Kearns came in, Maya Le Tissier, also a player that came from the Under-23s, retained her place at centre-back and was partnered by Lotte Wubben-Moy, who replaced Esme Morgan who was unavailable through illness, and Taylor Hinds started at left-back.
Ghana presented a different challenge to the Lionesses than the one posed by China. The scoreline may not have been as flattering, but England were rampant in their first ever meeting with the African side, dominating possession, accruing 24 shots to Ghana’s three and 10 on target to Ghana’s one. The only thing that was missing was the end product, Wiegman’s charges denied by the woodwork four times as they sought to build on Kendall’s early goal.
That struggle clinically could be attributed partly to some bad luck and partly to the presence of a starting XI that has not played much football together. However, you only build those connections through minutes on the pitch to complement the work on the training ground. So, in that sense, this game, a friendly against a side ranked 67th in the world, was a good opportunity to begin forming connections between lesser utilised players and the more experienced ones and gauge how effectively they are coming along. That will not always be successful, or reap rewards immediately, but the value of it will show in 2027 when, should England qualify for the World Cup in Brazil, circumstances could force more unusual starting line ups or changes mid-game.
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In Southampton, the extension of England’s lead came deep into added time, Comfort Yeboah was adjudged to have handled the ball after substitute Alessia Russo’s header and, after a VAR check, a penalty was awarded and the newly crowned Football Supporter’s Association women’s player of the year, Russo, converted. The home crowd of 20,252 celebrated wildly, their patient wait for the ball to hit the back of the net after the promise offered by the early opener was finally rewarded.
England end 2025 with two wins, rotation, and lots to think about. The future of the emerging talent from the Under-23s about 18 months out from the 2027 World Cup adds excitement and competitiveness.
Meanwhile, the solo bid to host the 2035 World Cup, joint with Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, has been submitted to Fifa, giving the next big carrot to girls up and down the country dreaming of being in the next generation of talent behind the likes of Kendall, Beever-Jones, Le Tissier and more.
