Singapore's Danelle Tan leaves Brisbane Roar, wants to keep her options open
Singapore's Danelle Tan leaves Brisbane Roar, wants to keep her options open
SINGAPORE – National women's footballer Danelle Tan is on the hunt for a new club.
On May 28, she announced on Instagram that she will leave Brisbane Roar after making just three appearances for the A-League Women side.
In a statement on social media, the club said the 20-year-old forward is among five players who will leave the club after their contract expires at the end of this season.
Brisbane, who finished seventh out of 12 in the recently concluded A-League Women campaign, thanked the players for their contributions and wished them all the best in the future.
When contacted, Tan told The Straits Times that she is keeping her options open, saying: 'My main consideration is finding an environment where I believe I can improve and grow most as a player, whether in Europe or somewhere else in the world.
'I'm always trying to improve myself as a player, and that means constantly looking for environments where I can grow the most and take my football to the next level.
'While I'm grateful for my time at Brisbane Roar, I don't feel that it's the right place for me for the near future.'
She joined the Australian club in August 2024, after helping German club Borussia Dortmund gain promotion to the Westfalenliga, the fourth tier of German football.
Tan made three substitute appearances for the Roar – for a total of 45 minutes – after a knee surgery sidelined her for eight games.
Her A-League Women debut came on Jan 4 in a 2-1 loss to Canberra United.
She had a goal disallowed for offside in her second game on Feb 16, a 0-0 draw with Western United, before a 10-minute cameo in the 3-2 loss to Sydney FC on March 2.
She then scored in a 7-1 friendly win against a Singapore Women's Premier League All-Star team at Bishan Stadium in April.
When asked about her injury, Tan said: 'I think the knee injury came at a very unfortunate time – right before the start of the season.
'I had a good pre-season leading up to the season, starting in pre-season friendlies, so I really felt the injury killed my momentum.
'Even after coming back from injury, the team was doing very well, so competition was extremely high and I struggled for minutes.'
In 2023, Tan became the first Singaporean woman to feature in a European league when she played for English third-tier side London Bees in the amateur FA Women's National League South.
In the 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 in 2024.
She then left Dortmund and accepted the offer from Brisbane, with whom she signed her first pro contract and became the second Singaporean footballer to feature in Australia's top-tier women's competition, following former national midfielder Lim Shiya, who played for Perth Glory in 2008-09.
Thanking Brisbane for the opportunity to play in Australia, Tan said: 'My experience with Brisbane Roar is something I'm really grateful for.
'During my time in Australia, I've met some incredible people and life long friends that I'll carry with me beyond football.
'While I hoped the season would pan out a little differently, I'm still incredibly thankful to the fans for their unwavering support, as well as to the coaches and my teammates throughout the season.'
Melvyn Teoh is a sports journalist at The Straits Times.
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