Having moved to Bayern Munich as a teenager, Jasmin Eder saw little time for the senior team but rather tried to break through playing for Munich II in 2FBL.

Unable to cut her teeth with the full team the midfielder moved to BV Cloppenburg before enjoying a stint in the top flight with VfL Sindelfingen.

A move back to Austria to pursue her studies whilst she was still young has seen Eder become a permanent fixture at SKN St. Pölten though she remains open to a move back to the neighbouring league.

Friends and teammates

With the booming Frauen-Bundesliga right on the doorstep it’s of little surprise to see so many Austrians end up playing over the border in the higher quality league, much like many of her compatriots, Eder’s Bundesliga career began with Bayern,

“I played with the under-19s for the first time – it was always a goal on mine to play in Germany – and I met Viki [Schnaderbeck] and Carina [Wenninger] and they already played there in Munich. We talked about it and also I talked to the trainer and it was a good chance because the quality was much better than in Austria, I went with Gini [Virginia Kirchberger] and Pepsi [Nadine Prohaska] and it was really a great time.”

Taking a step back to complete her education, Eder feels confident that the measured move was the right one,

“For me, the step to St. Pölten was for school, I wanted to finish my exams. In some people’s eyes it was a step back but for me it was a step back to make two steps forward and I feel very comfortable in the role in the team now but if there’s a good chance for me to go back to Germany I’d think about it.”

Having completed her exams, the midfielder juggles her time between playing for the Austrian champions and working with children in a school,

“On one hand I’m very happy to have the opportunity to combine football and something I really like but on the other hand it’s sometimes it’s very stressful.”

Whilst the 2017 Euros were a big deal for Austria, the team not just qualifying for their first ever major tournament but only missing out on a spot in the final after a shoot-out loss, Eder, like half of the squad spent most of the tournament watching from the sidelines, something the 25-year-old feels no resentment about,

“I couldn’t go on the pitch and help but I could help from outside and I think that’s a big thing for our team that we’re all together. I got the chance to play against France and I was very happy about it and yes, I wanted to play more but I also wanted to help the team from the outside too.”

Though other countries have enjoyed a boom in terms of fans turning out to watch the domestic league, Austria can’t boast the same, numbers at ÖFB-Frauenliga matches still unfortunately low,

“I think the focus is on the national team, like before there are not many people interested in the league.”

When asked what the one thing she wants to achieve in her career is, the furtive midfielder drew a blank, conceding that there isn’t just one thing,

“I want to be healthy and fit… I want to play how I know I can play and I want to be happy.”