LISA Evans has timed her run to perfection.

A few years ago, the Turbine Potsdam and Scotland attacker might not have found an overseas outlet for her talent; instead she is playing for one of Europe's top clubs at the very time when the sport is growing rapidly across the continent.

Evans, along with other members of the Scotland squad, is enjoying opportunities which were denied even recently to Julie Fleeting in her prime. Three have professional contracts in Sweden, and a fourth, Jenny Beattie, now plays in France - but it is Evans who belongs to women's football aristocracy.

Not that such a term would have been approved of in the old East Germany, where Potsdam's legendary coach, Bernd Schroeder founded the club in 1971. He is still there, pulling the strings of a club which has multiple Bundesliga titles and were the champions of Europe in 2005 and 2010.

The 21-year-old was invited to join this elite environment in inauspicious circumstances. She was a teenage member of a Glasgow City side thumped 17-0 on aggregate by Potsdam in the Champions League two years ago. Yet, even in this unflattering light Schroder saw enough to believe she could be an asset to his club.

His judgment has been vindicated, especially this season during which Evans has started all six league matches for a side which tops the league on goal difference from Frankfurt. Her two goals have helped her side move a point clear of Bayern Munich and two ahead of Champions League holders Wolfsburg.

No wonder she was smiling ahead of today's 2015 World Cup qualifier in Poland.

Evans' development in Germany is Scotland's gain also. Playing wide on the left she scored in the opening two qualifiers against the Faroe Islands and Bosnia-Hezergovina, and was easily the star performer in the latter. Like many of her team-mates she was more subdued against Northern Ireland at a rain-sodden Fir Park on Saturday night, but expects to bounce back today.

The match against Poland is the nearest she will get to a home fixture in the Group 4 qualifiers. The distance from Potsdam to Poznan, which follows an uncannily straight line, is approximately the same as from Glasgow to Aberdeen. "It's not far at all - just across the border," she confirms.

Bright and bubbly, the Perth-born Evans was in an understrength Scotland side which beat the Poles 3-1 in a friendly in Gdansk last year. Once again she found the net, but her tally of five goals in 24 internationals is not prolific. She is more of a provider than a regular scorer in a side which boasts players who have found the net from every position - except goalkeeper and right back.

Scotland generally favour a 4-2-3-1 and opposing sides find it hard to subdue the quick passing and movement of Evans, Kim Little and centre forward Jane Ross. With Little playing in behind Ross, it is a combination which was particularly dynamic against the Bosnians.

Although always speedy, Evans appears to have developed an even quicker turn of foot in her 18 months at Potsdam. "People say I'm faster, but my speed of thought has also improved playing with, and against, the best players," she points out. "You can only get better playing in that environment - you have to make quick, clear cut decisions."

A few of the Polish players are also in Germany, but none at Evans' exalted level and what knowledge she has of them is restricted to last May's friendly as well as recent videos. "I remember them as a physical team," she says. "We played well in that game even though we didn't have a full squad.

"They're the third seeds in the group and it's their home game so there's a lot at stake for them as well. They'll be thinking the group is between us, Sweden and them for the top spots.

"We'll be respectful of them, but at the same time we won't give them too much respect. We're top of the group with nine points from three games, and we've got there with some style. The first game was against the Faroes away and there's always the potential for something to go wrong in a game like that, especially in the weather conditions we had, but we beat them 7-2.

"We were really pleased with the second game against Bosnia too, but we know we didn't play as well as we can against Northern Ireland. It's always difficult against one of the other British sides because it's more of a battle than a football game, but we still got the three points."

Once the Poland game is out of the way, Evans faces a massive Champions League double header. The encounter between Arsenal and Glasgow City may have caught the imagination here, but the tie of the last 16 is between Potsdam and Olympique Lyon. Between them they have lifted three of the last four Champions Leagues - the French club won in 2011 and 2012 before losing this year's final to Wolfsburg at Stamford Bridge.

Evans, who scored twice against Hungarian champions MTK in the previous round, admits: "Lyon are the best team in Europe. For us there's nothing to lose. We can take comfort from the fact that Wolfsburg beat them 1-0 in the final, even although Lyon had the better chances. We are as good as Wolfsburg, if not better, this season."

Exciting times for Evans, but what does her club coach make of her? In his 42nd season in charge - take that Sir Alex - he is not about to give any player easy praise.

"Lisa has developed during her time at our club very much - actually in a way we imagined she would," Schroeder told Herald Sport. "What she is still missing, and where there is room for improvement, is consistency. She still has to work on playing continuously at the same high level."