Lucia for the u23s | photo taken from @luciakendall on instagram
Lucia Kendall joined Aston Villa this summer from her childhood club, Southampton, and after her impressive start with her new side, Sarina Wiegman called up the youngster to the senior squad for the first time.
When getting the all important call, she said “I was watching tv [when she got Sarina’s call] so I missed it! I got a message from Sarina so I called her back!”
“I was surprised [about the call up] but I am excited!”
Hannah asked what it meant to her and her family about being called up to the squad: “I think it’s surreal and it doesn’t [really] feel true.” “The support that my family has shown me through so many years, to be able to call them and tell them that I’ve got a senior call up was pretty amazing.”
“Just to see how proud they are of me as well. I want to pay them back and show them that all their dedication and stuff has got me here.”
She watched her side win the European Championship in the summer and is enjoying being around the people who inspired her most. When walking into St George’s Park, you can see the European Championship Trophy and when speaking to the media about the Euros win, she said: “I think it’s surreal. I don’t think it’s really sunk in.”
“I want to learn as much as possible. This team’s just gone and won back to back Euros so to be able to be in and around them and be in their environment is something I really didn’t think I’d get to do straight away and so soon.”
She wants to be pivotal in these homecoming series games and “wants to show what she’s about.” ”I would love to get an opportunity and take everything in my stride.”
Her best piece of advice given in her career to date was: “It’s all about enjoying it! I play better when I enjoy playing and I’m not overthinking things.”
“Being called up and moments like this remind you that these are the things you dreamt of when you’re a kid growing up.”
The 21 year old midfielder made the switch to the midlands after making over 100 appearances for her old club Southampton, as well as sealing a non-league double in 2022. She scored 22 goals in 27 appearances for the south coast side and helped them reach WSL2 in the same year.
The move from Southampton to Villa has prepped her for another new environment and she likes to sit back and observe to find where she fits. She said to the media that she is “grateful for the trust Natalia [Arroyo] has had in me as a young player.” “ She is very passionate about the game.”
Lucia said she “felt ready for the next step [on moving to Aston Villa in the summer]” She said the speed of the game is quicker and she sees herself naturally as a more defensive player but “wouldn’t pigeon hole herself to a set position.”
Kendall was previously in the under 23 set up and said “u23s have definitely prepared me well for this environment, I think they try and mirror as much as they can.” Coming into the senior set up: “the detail that the coaching staff and the players take in every aspect of the game has definitely struck me.”
“There’s a clear pathway [to the senior set up]” “Players who have gone before me [Grace Clinton, Aggie Beever-Jones and Laura Blindkilde Brown], to know that the pathway is genuine is motivating and knowing if you take the right steps you’ll be given a chance.”
“Both Laura [Blindkilde Brown] and Missy [Bo Kearns] have been really welcoming and good to me in this set up.”
Outside of football, the youngster said “I take a while to come out of my shell, but when I do I’m probably a bit of an idiot.” She likes to keep her football stuff to football so when being away from it, she likes to play piano, cook, spend time with her family and friends and even has a degree in psychology.
