It may have been Southampton that “made” Kendall, but a major decision made at the age of 15 proved crucial to his future.
The talented youngster was also a keen cricketer – her father Will played for Hampshire – but eventually she had to choose between the games as she broke into Southampton’s first team. He chose football.
“It was interesting. I didn’t have time to do both anymore,” Kendall said at his first England media conference in October.
“I loved playing cricket growing up. It was a really difficult decision. I kept going back and forth, but when the time came, I realized I enjoyed football a little more.”
His idol growing up as a Chelsea fan was England midfielder Frank Lampard, known for his goalscoring prowess – and Kendall has started out in a similar manner.
Living in Southampton with a psychology degree at university, it was already clear that Kendall had the desire and dedication to become a star.
The second-tier club kept her around for as long as they could, but when her contract expired in the summer, Villa tried to bring her into the Women’s Super League spotlight.
Within a matter of months Winchester-born Kendall had made a name for herself, becoming a regular in the top flight and earning a place in the England team.
“She shows consistency and that’s not easy when you come to a new environment and into the WSL with Aston Villa,” Wiegman admitted.
“Things have moved on so quickly, but she maintains her level and shows what a good player she is – and that’s impressive.”
Kendall certainly enjoyed herself at St Mary’s, hitting the crossbar late in the first half and almost fouling Villa teammate Missy Bo Kearns for a goal, before Alessia Russo scored the second with a penalty in injury time.
She came out after an hour amid the roar of the home crowd and the enthusiastic voice of the stadium announcer, declaring that she was “Southampton’s own”.
Kendall scored 29 goals for the club in over a decade of service and said: “Being at Southampton for so long, I played regular senior football from the age of 16 and it stood me in really good stead.
“It was just the continued trust and confidence shown in me as a player. I felt like I was ready for (the next step).
“I knew I had to go (to England) and prove why I should be playing at this level. The pace of the game is faster and it was like moving up a division.”
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