'I didn’t know who she was!' Lucy Bronze on England star's incredible rise

Lucia Kendall may be the Lionesses’ newest rising star, but Lucy Bronze admits she had never heard of her a few months ago.

After impressing for Aston Villa this season, the 21-year-old caught Sarina Wiegman’s eye and earned herself Player of the Match on her October debut and scored her first England goal against Ghana.

Bronze, who won her 144th cap in Southampton, admitted she didn’t know who the Aston Villa star was at the start of the season.

Who is newest Lionesses star Lucia Kendall?

The Aston Villa midfielder impressed Wiegman with her energetic performances in the Women’s Super League this season, but football wasn’t always her focus.

Kendall initially followed in her father’s footsteps on the cricket pitch, representing Hampshire Women and earning a place in the England academy.

On committing fully to football, her rise through the national pathway was swift. Representing England at Under-15, U18, U19 and U23 levels paved the way for a senior call up in October as part of the Lionesses’ Homecoming Series.

Before joining Villa in the summer, she made 103 appearances and scored 29 goals for Southampton, the club she had represented for nearly a decade from youth level through to WSL 2.

After spending almost a decade with Southampton from youth level to the WSL 2, she has shone in her first season in the top-flight, adapting quickly to life in the WSL.

It was a dream return for Kendall at Southampton, as she scored six minutes into her second start for the Lionesses, marking the moment with a knee-slide celebration, something Wiegman jokingly described as 'celebrating as if she had won the Champions League.'

Her impressive senior debut against Australia in October earned Kendall a Player of the Match award, while her goal against Ghana added another highlight to her first three matches as a Lioness.

Bronze: “I didn’t know who she was!”

While Kendall was the youngest player to start for the Lionesses at St Mary’s Stadium, Lucy Bronze equalled Karen Carney’s tally, earning her 144th cap.

Bronze, 34, now the joint-third most-capped player in Lionesses history, admitted she wasn’t familiar with Kendall a few months ago.

Speaking after Saturday's 8-0 victory over China at Wembley, Bronze said: “It's been really fun with the new players coming in. I think Lucia is a great example.

“Someone who, to be honest with you, I didn't know who she was at the start of the season and I think she's got a huge future ahead of her. I think she's going to be one of England's stars of the future.

“Just seeing players like that step in and just enjoy themselves. I see them walking out at Wembley, looking up and seeing how crazy it is to be playing here - it gives someone like me a lot of excitement because it could become, not mundane, but just a little bit more normal for me.

“But being able to share in their experiences makes it more exciting for me and keeps the rest of us on our toes - we want to do our best for them but also want to stay in the team, because so many of them are so talented.”

Kendall’s Villa teammate Missy Bo Kearns added: "I'm really proud of Lucia, I've seen the growth of her and she deserves it because she works so hard. You can see it, her basics, what she's bringing for club and country. She's shining."