Stenhousemuir's Eva Ralston 'shocked but honoured' to be put for SWF's Kat Lindner Award

And it is fair to say that the Stenhousemuir forward is going about it in the right way. Having recently returned to Ochilview after a year’s hiatus to study in Spain, the Scots Law with Spanish fifth year student has been put up for the prestigious Kat Lindner Award for Outstanding Athletic and Academic Achievement, named after the former Glasgow City player who died suddenly in 2019.

Previous winners of the competition include the likes of current national team captain Rachel Corsie and ex-Scotland star and BBC pundit Leanne Crichton, and Eva admits the nomination came as a “pleasant surprise” after finding out last week.

"I didn’t anticipate it at all,” she said. “It was a pleasant surprise and a real honour to be nominated. I couldn’t believe it when our manager Jack (Cameron) sent me it over saying I was put up for it. It is a real honour especially in relation to the fact it is named after Kat (Lindner) and what the award actually is for – it is just such a nice thing.

"I’m in my fifth and final year at the University of Strathclyde and it has been really tough trying to juggle football and my course. It is two subjects at once which is heavy but it was my own choice to test myself. I always wanted to continue languages and this course offered that to me so I jumped at it.

"I’ve also just spent a year in Spain which is a compulsory part of the degree. I was at the University of Malaga as an exchange student and I loved the experience and I play football too. It was a complete hassle because of things like Brexit and I couldn’t get my international clearance sorted out properly until the second half of the season.

"I actually enjoyed the break from competitive football and it was nice just meeting new people and enjoying purely the social aspect of football. My main goal was to learn the language and it was fully immersive for me as the girls in the team were Spanish and my classes were in Spanish too.

"I did play for the university team which was brilliant because I learned a lot and it was interesting to see the difference compared to back here. I also play for Strathclyde 1s alongside Stenhousemuir so that is another commitment that I have to deal with.”

Eva reckons that the constant battle between studying and participating in a sport is overlooked by many, and that the issue is especially prevalent within women’s football in Scotland, where most players are playing for the love of the game rather than having aspirations of playing professionally.

The Bishopbriggs native, 22, only began playing football five years ago when she helped captain her school team, Turnbull High School, to the Scottish School Under-18s Cup final.

She said: "I think it is really overlooked just how difficult it is for people within the women’s game at our level. Unless you are at the very top in Scotland, the chances are that you are not getting paid to play and are probably actually playing to play.

"I know so many girls who are working so hard outwith football or are like me and are doing a degree while trying to play and it is a hard choice sometimes when you need to pick one or the other. Trying to balance academia and sport is tough and football is escape for me but you need to weigh up if it is the priority sometimes.

"The game here is improving and the opportunity is there now for girls who want to really have a go of making it. If I was just starting out now then I would have considered trying to reach full-time football but back then it didn’t seem realistic.”

Having shone on the pitch for the Warriors this season so far, scoring three goals in her three SWF League One appearances, Eva is hoping to combine her talents to a role within football off the pitch in the future.

"I do have a pretty good idea of what I would like to do,” she said of her plans once she graduates. “I am hoping to secure a job that covers football in some way. I would love to work within the legal side of sport and in doing so that would give me the enjoyment of football even if I stopped playing.

"It is easy to say I will continue to play no matter what but you need to prioritise things and make sure playing can work for you and what you have going in your life.

"All I know is that I am loving being at Stenhousemuir and Jack and the people behind the scenes are really going in a direction that suits me. When I came back in the summer, I had other offers but I feel comfortable here.”