England's young star Lucia Kendall continues to shine, scoring a crucial goal against Ghana in a friendly match that showcased her rapid rise from relative anonymity to the senior team. The 21-year-old striker, who recently made her debut for the senior side after joining Aston Villa from Southampton, slotted in from close range just six minutes into the game, thanks to a fortunate deflection by Bรฉnรฉdicte Simon.
Manager Sarina Wiegman praised Kendall's performance, saying it was "very special" and that she had everyone around her. The England manager acknowledged that Kendall has come on rapidly, and Lucy Bronze, another team member, called her one of the country's stars in the future. Bronze even admitted to not knowing who Kendall was at the start of the season, highlighting the young player's rapid ascent.
Wiegman's decision to relaunch the under-23 side in 2021 has clearly paid off, as it provided a platform for players like Kendall to develop and step up into the senior team. The England manager expressed her admiration for Kendall's ability to maintain high standards despite the rapid increase in expectation around her.
The match against Ghana was not without its challenges, however. Despite dominating possession and accruing 24 shots on goal, England struggled to find the back of the net. The only goal of the game came from Alessia Russo's header, which was followed by a penalty converted by Kendall after a VAR review. The England team will look to build on this performance as they gear up for the rest of their "Homecoming Series" and the 2027 World Cup.
For the next generation of young players in the country, the emergence of Kendall and others like Aggie Beever-Jones, Maya Le Tissier serves as inspiration. With hopes still high that England will host the 2035 World Cup, this talented crop of players looks set to make a significant impact in the years to come.
Manager Sarina Wiegman praised Kendall's performance, saying it was "very special" and that she had everyone around her. The England manager acknowledged that Kendall has come on rapidly, and Lucy Bronze, another team member, called her one of the country's stars in the future. Bronze even admitted to not knowing who Kendall was at the start of the season, highlighting the young player's rapid ascent.
Wiegman's decision to relaunch the under-23 side in 2021 has clearly paid off, as it provided a platform for players like Kendall to develop and step up into the senior team. The England manager expressed her admiration for Kendall's ability to maintain high standards despite the rapid increase in expectation around her.
The match against Ghana was not without its challenges, however. Despite dominating possession and accruing 24 shots on goal, England struggled to find the back of the net. The only goal of the game came from Alessia Russo's header, which was followed by a penalty converted by Kendall after a VAR review. The England team will look to build on this performance as they gear up for the rest of their "Homecoming Series" and the 2027 World Cup.
For the next generation of young players in the country, the emergence of Kendall and others like Aggie Beever-Jones, Maya Le Tissier serves as inspiration. With hopes still high that England will host the 2035 World Cup, this talented crop of players looks set to make a significant impact in the years to come.
i mean, scoreing her first goal for england is one thing but doing it against a tough team like ghana is whole different. sarina wiegman must be bloody proud of her 
anyway, i think this is just the beginning for lucy and the rest of the under-23 squad 
they're getting the exposure they need to take their game to the next level 
can't wait to see what's in store for them at the 2027 world cup 
The England squad is on fire right now and I'm hyped to see how far they'll go! 
u know how sometimes u can be watching a match and think "wait, why did they stop the clock?"
like, what's up with that? anyway, back to Kendall - she seems so cool! I love how confident she is on the field. did u see her celebration after scoring that goal? 
I think it's so cool how Lucia Kendall has gone from nobody to a star in just a few months 
! She's got that special spark and Sarina Wiegman knows exactly what she's doing as the England manager 
. Plus, it's great to hear that Wiegman's under-23 side has been doing so well and giving players like Kendall a chance to shine 
. Can't wait to see what the future holds for England and their talented young squad! 
๏ธ
I mean, scoring against Ghana in their first match was EVERYTHING 
. It's not just Kendall, though - this whole under-23 side is looking super strong 
! It's amazing to see players like Aggie Beever-Jones & Maya Le Tissier stepping up their game too 
England's got another pretty girl on their team now, whoa... Lucia Kendall's all over the news and everyone's like "oh look she's so talented". 
The thing is, it's just gonna be a fad, she'll get injured or something and suddenly nobody remembers her name. Mark my words, in two years she'll be playing for some minor league team and no one will even blink an eye.
I'm sure most of them are just pretending to be interested in the game for the fame and fortune. England's just setting themselves up for disappointment when those young guns inevitably burn out.
But let's not forget, England's success has been built on shaky ground - they're still searching for their identity 
?
. Just saying.
? anyway sarina wiegman seems super wise about bringing out the best in her players, i love how she praised kendall's performance and acknowledged that kenda has come on so fast. like yeah we get it you're a superstar now but still gotta work hard to keep those standards up 
I'm loving Lucia Kendall's rise to fame! She's like a ray of sunshine on the football pitch 
I'm also loving the under-23 side relaunching in 2021 โ it's like the perfect platform for players like Kendall to shine 
. I was like "wow, how did we miss out on this girl at the beginning of the season?" 
!
๏ธ! I'm excited to see what the future holds for her and the rest of the young English talent... fingers crossed we'll still get that 2035 World Cup 
. The fact that she scored that crucial goal against Ghana after just 6 minutes in the game is a great confidence booster for her and the team 
The rapid ascension of Lucia Kendall is a fascinating case study on the impact of effective talent identification and development programs 
... I mean, who else would've seen the potential in these young players?