The Champions League goalkeeper studying to be a doctor

Schluter has made 38 saves during St Polten's three Champions League games this season

"Whenever you want something really, really bad then there is an opportunity to do it."

Ever since she could remember, Carina Schluter wanted to be a doctor.

It just so happened she was also "kind of talented" at football.

Now the German goalkeeper is splitting her time between sitting in lecture theatres and playing in the Women's Champions League with Austrian side St Polten.

Winners of the Austrian Bundesliga for 10 seasons running, the club have allowed Schluter to play football and study medicine at a local university.

"I'm living my dream life, playing football professionally and becoming a physician. There is nothing better in this world to me," she told the BBC's Women's Football Weekly podcast.

St Polten, who face Valerenga in the Champions League on Wednesday, have yet to win a game in the competition this season.

"The first legs have been tough because we've played Atletico [Madrid], Lyon and Chelsea and of course it's a small club so nobody really estimates us to win," Schluter said.

"Against the big teams, we just want to enjoy every minute because nobody expects us to win, nobody expects us to even tie."

St Polten were beaten 6-0 by Women's Super League champions Chelsea in their last European outing, but the scoreline could have been far harsher had Schluter not produced a string of fine saves against the Blues.

'It just works somehow'

While her team-mates travelled to Oslo on Monday morning, Schluter made the trip a day later because she had university lectures to attend.

It's a delicate balance, and one that isn't possible everywhere.

Schluter played for Bayern Munich between 2019 and 2021, but she explained that combining football with a medical degree was not feasible at the German club.

"After I finished school in Germany, I actually tried studying medicine but playing in the German Bundesliga and studying medicine was too much - no chance," Schluter said.

"I came to Austria to combine my studies and play football because most of the biggest clubs, for example in Germany or England, it wouldn't be possible to study medicine while playing football and Champions League.

"Here they support me, they are happy about it and that's why I enjoy it so much."

Schluter said she relies on friends at university to help her revise and catch up with any lectures she has missed because of football training.

"At university I have some good people and the club know I am studying and it just works out somehow," she added.

The 28-year-old, who has one senior cap for Germany, is not the only player juggling a football career with a medical degree at St Polten, with midfielders Sarah Mattner and Magdalena Rukavina also studying to become doctors.

'Sleepless nights and lots of coffee'

For Schluter, her days consist of training, travelling and studying - a mix that leads to many "sleepless nights".

"I wouldn't do all the practice and all the football matches and all the busy travel if I didn't love it that much," she said.

"My body hurts. You're a professional goalie so everything hurts, every jump hurts, but if I didn't love it that much then I wouldn't do it.

"I feel like I'm a little girl just enjoying the big matches, enjoying the big stage, just enjoying every single minute."

And she has the same passion for her medicine degree.

"Of course it's tough to sit down for hours and hours and have sleepless nights because you're having to study for the next exam," Schluter added.

"There's always some time missing that I could use for studying, so I have to make it up with sleepless nights and lots of coffee. "

"It just works out because I love it. It makes me so happy."