Footballer Danelle Tan ready to roar in Brisbane after signing her first pro contract

She had initially planned to stay at German giants Borussia Dortmund for another season after winning the league, but offers then came from top Australian sides and Tan decided on Roar. She was officially unveiled as a Roar player on Aug 8.

Tan, who has 22 national caps and seven goals, was the youngest player to score for Singapore as a 14-year-old. She said she had a fruitful conversation with Roar’s chief executive Kaz Patafta and the chief operations officer Zac Anderson.

She added: “Through that call, I really felt that Brisbane Roar was the right next step for me in my career. My dream has always been to play professionally.

“It has been incredibly fulfilling to finally put pen on paper and sign a contract. I feel like I’ve made a monumental step in my career, but this is only the beginning.”

The Roar finished ninth out of 12 teams in the A-League Women’s 2023–24 season.

Their star former players include Fifa Women’s World Cup and Uefa Champions League-winning Japanese striker Yuki Nagasato as well as established Matildas stars Hayley Raso and Clare Polkinghorne.

The A-League Women has also become a platform for players and coaches to bigger stages like the Women’s Super League in England, including Chelsea’s Sam Kerr and Manchester City’s Mary Fowler.

Tan will link up with her new teammates when pre-season commences in September with the season starting on Nov 1.

The only other Singaporean to feature in Australia’s top tier women’s competition was former national midfielder Lim Shiya, who played for Perth Glory from 2008 to 2009.

Roar head coach Alex Smith said the club saw Tan as an “exciting young player who will thrive in our environment. She brings a very direct approach with forward runs and finishing which will suit our style”.

He added: “We see Danelle adding to our team in the final third playing as a striker, bringing forward runs and hopefully goals. It’s up to me to continue to develop the attributes that will help her be successful and get on the pitch as much as possible.

“Danelle has everything to be successful in this league. Hard work and commitment will be paramount for all the players. It’s my job to make sure that happens every session to prepare as best we can for the season.

“My playing experience as a striker will certainly be useful for Danelle. I have a very structured, principle-based approach to training, which will help develop her even more as a footballer.”

In 2023, Tan became the first Singaporean woman to play in a European league when she turned out for English third-tier side London Bees in the amateur FA Women’s National League South.

That same year, she became the first Asian to play for the Dortmund women’s team. She contributed 16 goals in 27 matches as BVB Frauen won the fifth-division Landesliga to earn their third consecutive promotion in three years and clinched the regional Kreispokal Cup.

Tan’s target for her maiden campaign in Australia is to “hit the ground running and get settled into the team as fast as possible, compete for a spot in the starting eleven, and develop as much as a player”.

She also hopes to inspire others, saying: “I think people all have different dreams and aspirations. The dream I had led me to this uncharted path, but I don’t hope or wish more people will take it.

“I just hope that if someone was dreaming about it but didn’t think it was possible, I hope that I’ve shown them that maybe it’s worthwhile. Maybe it’s possible.”