‘i’m Here To Learn’: Kendall Intent On Seizing Surprise Lionesses Chance

Lucia Kendall was watching TV, astir apt a drama, and missed Sarina Wiegman’s call. She wasn’t expecting it. Certainly not this soon. The 21-year-old joined Aston Villa from nan WSL 2 nine Southampton successful nan summertime but her commencement successful nan apical section has been truthful awesome that it has yielded a first elder England call-up for nan friendlies against Brazil and Australia.

“It’s surreal really,” Kendall says astatine nan team’s St George’s Park training base. “I don’t deliberation it’s really sunk in. I’m conscionable present to study arsenic overmuch arsenic possible. This team’s conscionable gone and won back-to-back Euros truthful to beryllium capable to beryllium successful their situation is thing I really didn’t deliberation I’d get to do truthful soon.”

The religion shown successful her by Villa’s manager, Natalia Arroyo, is paying off. “She’s very passionate astir nan game,” says Kendall. “I’m starting to spot really she wants to play, to travel retired a spot more, but I’m conscionable really grateful for nan level of spot that she’s shown successful me. I’m a young subordinate successful nan team. The first start, against Arsenal astatine nan Emirates, not each head would propulsion you successful nan heavy extremity for illustration that but I was really grateful for that opportunity to beryllium capable to show what I tin do. I consciousness that spot from her.”

The foundations were laid by Southampton, whom she joined from Winchester City Flyers, progressing done nan academy and into nan elder broadside by 16, and her clip successful nan England pathway. “Being astatine Southampton for truthful agelong – I’ve played regular elder shot from erstwhile I was 16 – has stood maine successful really bully stead and nan accordant spot that they showed successful maine arsenic a subordinate was important. I felt for illustration I was fresh for nan adjacent measurement up [to nan WSL] and I knew that I had to spell successful and beryllium why I should beryllium playing astatine this level. The velocity of nan crippled is quicker going up a section but I do deliberation that playing those regular minutes successful nan WSL 2 put maine successful a bully place.

“The [England] Under-23s has decidedly prepared maine good for this situation too. They effort and reflector arsenic overmuch arsenic they tin from nan elder team. I’ve been astir nan squad agelong capable to spot a batch of things, but I’d decidedly opportunity nan quality is successful nan item and everything’s astir wanting to win. There’s nary fluff astir it; if we tin triumph for illustration this, that’s really we’re going to do it.”

The extremity is to soak up nan experience. “I decidedly want to show what I’m astir and what I tin do,” she says, besides reasoning up to games against China successful November and Ghana successful December. “We’ve sewage 4 friendlies, truthful really breathtaking games.”

Lucia Kendall successful action for Aston Villa, wherever she has impressed successful midfield. Photograph: Gareth Copley/Getty Images

Kendall tin play successful midfield arsenic a No 10, No 6 aliases No 8. “I wouldn’t pigeonhole myself to a position,” she says. “I played successful nan 10 astatine Southampton, and I’ve been playing arsenic much of a protect midfielder astatine Villa. I would for illustration to opportunity that I tin play immoderate of those 3 roles, astir apt much people a small spot much defensive, but I want to beryllium capable to play each 3 positions successful that midfield.”

Kendall says that distant from nan transportation she tin “take a while to travel retired of my shell” and that erstwhile she does she is “probably a spot of an idiot”. Far from it: she plays nan soft and is studying for a grade successful psychology. Football wasn’t her only sport, either. She played cricket for Hampshire and was selected for nan England women’s academy successful nan 2019–20 season.

“I astir apt chose shot erstwhile I was astir 15 aliases 16,” she says. “When I had to modulation into Southampton Women location was nary clip for maine to do some immoderate more. I loved playing cricket increasing up and it was a really difficult decision. I went backmost and distant connected it and my parents were like: ‘You conscionable support going pinch both.’ They really supported me. I was really grateful for that. Eventually erstwhile nan clip came I was like: ‘You cognize what? I bask shot a spot much I think.’”

Having different interests is important to Kendall. “I for illustration to support shot to football, not fto it return complete my full life,” she says. “That’s rather an easy point to person happen. Piano, uni, cooking, spending clip pinch my friends and family … I conscionable bask a serene and quiet life.”