Danelle Tan will feature alongside veteran players such as Tameka Yallop as she joins top flight A-League Women’s Brisbane Roar
She is Singapore’s youngest ever senior international goal scorer, first Singaporean woman to play in Europe, and now, Danelle Tan becomes the first Singaporean female to sign a professional football contract.
The 19-year-old announced her surprise departure from Borussia Dortmund on 22nd July. Initially wanting to stay another year after a historic title-winning season for the club, the forward had received offers from professional clubs that just could not be turned down.
Brisbane Roar currently boasts veteran Australian national team’s Tameka Yallop and newly called-up Sharn Freier, but has produced many other senior Matildas including Mackenzie Arnold, Hayley Raso, Claire Polkinghorne and Katrina Gorry.
Danelle, who will be linking up with her new teammates in September for pre-season, shared of her excitement in an interview done with the club.
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“I’m just looking to hit the ground running and settle in as quickly as possible. I want to learn and grow as much as I can as a player training in an elite environment with a very high level of players,” shared the 19-year-old.
“It’s always a dream for players to play with and against the best players so we can compete and challenge ourselves. To have players like this (Yallop and Sharn Freier) in your own team to learn from and see how they train to get to the standard they’re at, it’s obviously very exciting for me.”
The first Asian to don the Dortmund Women’s shirt, Danelle was key to the team’s Kreispokal Cup win and the Landesliga title, which earned them a promotion to the fourth tier of German women’s football. She scored 16 goals in 27 games in Germany.
Before moving to the west of Europe, Danelle first went to London at 17-years-old, where she studied and played at Mill Hills High School and third-tier club London Bees. Locally, the forward began her career at Still Aerion, before featuring for Lion City Sailors in the Deloitte Women’s Premier League.
Danelle will wear the number nine shirt for Brisbane Roar.
