Eva Thomson joined Aberdeen during their inaugural season in what was then known as SWFL1 North. Two league winner’s medals in two seasons followed and the 17-year-old is excited to test herself against the best teams in the country in season three.

“You can’t really ask for anything more than winning the league in your first two seasons on the team. It’s a credit to everyone in the squad, we won the league last season and we dominated that league and I think getting into the top league is really good for all of us to develop. There was a step up from Championship (SWFL1 North) to SWPL2 but not as big as the jump we’re taking now to the top league. I think this step will be far more of a challenge but we’re looking forward to it”.

The teenager started playing at a very young age despite her school not having a girl’s football team.

“I started when I was in Primary One, I think my dad got me playing to start with. There wasn’t a girl’s team in my primary school in Milltimber, so I played with the boy’s team. When I was in primary five, we were playing a game in Westhill and the opposition coach was also the coach at Westdyke. He asked me to come along to play five-a-sides with them and that’s how I got started with Westdyke”.

Midfielder Thomson credits much of her development to Westdyke and actually faced the Dons just weeks before signing with them.

“I was there for maybe four or five years moving up through the age groups until we started playing eleven-a-side. I finally got into the first team in what was my last season for Westdyke. We played against Aberdeen during that season and I joined them a couple of games after that match. I was originally asked to go to the under-19s team but I turned them down to stay at Westdyke and later in the season Aberdeen came back and offered me a chance with the first team, so the decision worked out well for me. I really liked being at Westdyke, I had the same coach my whole time there and I think they really helped me improve as a player”.

Involved with Scotland regional squads since under-15 level, Eva has moved through the age groups along with some of her Dons team-mates.

“All the regions come together and play games and from there the coaches select a Scotland team. It gets more challenging to get picked for the Scotland team as you get older as the competition from all over the country is really good. I started with the 15s then went through 16s and 17s and now I’m at the 19s with a group of Aberdeen girls. There are five of us that have been in the 19s so it’s good to have them around. It helps from a playing perspective to play with the same players than at your club because you know how they play and have already built relationships with them”.

The prospect of coming up against some of the country’s best players is one which Thomson is looking forward to and last season’s Aberdeen Young Player of the Year believes it will be a positive experience.

“It’s really exciting to play against teams like Glasgow City, Celtic and Rangers. We’re playing teams that are playing in the Champions League, we’re up against some top opposition so we’re going to have to work very hard in training. Players like Jane Ross for Rangers and Leanne Crichton who played against us for Motherwell, to say I’ve played against top Scotland players like that is pretty cool. I think playing against that kind of players will help us improve both as a team and as individuals”.

Playing in the top flight brings more attention on the team. The chance to play in live televised matches will be new to most of the Aberdeen players though Eva feels fans returning to games is just as important.

“It’s a good thing having games on TV because more people can see us and it’s good for the game. It does make me a bit more nervous but I think that is a good thing to have those nerves. It’s much better for the team to have fans there as well, it really helps the team. During Covid it just wasn’t the same having nobody there, when the fans are there, it always makes you feel like you can give that bit more”.

Although Thomson and her team-mates are confident, they are also realistic about the challenges that the season will bring.

“I think it will be good for us and I think we can finish mid-table and maybe take some points off the big teams. We’ve came up from two leagues down so a lot of the teams will maybe underestimate us. I think winning against Motherwell in the cup was a statement from us to show what we can do. At the start of the season, we set objectives and getting past the group stage of the league cup was one them. So, we had completed one objective before the league even started”.

The 17-year-old has recently left school and is working two jobs as well as devoting the rest of her time to football. If she continues to improve on the field as she has since her arrival at AFCW, Thomson could become one of the big names in the SWPL1 in the future and a professional career may await. Typically, the level headed youngster is aware of how difficult it is to make it as a professional.

“It’s hard to say when you’re this young that you want to become a professional as it is really difficult. There is so much competition out there. It would be something I would love to do but I’m just going to keep working hard for Aberdeen and hopefully that will get me there one day”.