PUBLISHED ONMarch 08, 2025 5:43 AMByAmierul RashidTo mark International Women's Day on March 8, AsiaOne will be spotlighting inspiring women from different walks of life. You can find them all here.
In July 2023, an 18-year-old Danelle Tan was announced as the first Singaporean, and Asian, to join Borussia Dortmund's women's team.
And just like that, all eyes were on her — both at home and in Europe. But it seemed like she was barely fazed by the pressure.
The Singaporean forward's journey to professional football has been nothing short of groundbreaking, and she now plays professionally in Australia.
'Dress up as your hero day' is a fun activity held in some schools, where young kids would participate by dressing up as their idols.
Danelle told AsiaOne that she was reminded of this school event not too long ago.
She received an Instagram message from a mother, sharing that her daughter's choice of attire for the special day in school.
While her classmates dressed up as doctors or teacher, this young girl opted for the iconic yellow and black of Borussia Dortmund, Danelle's former club.
But the name printed on the back of her jersey was not of past or current Dortmund superstars like Erling Haaland or Julian Brandt. It was Danelle's.
"I thought that was such a nice story. The more I see how my influence can impact young girls who aspire to be [whatever they dream of]," she told AsiaOne.
Danelle speaks with such maturity, it is easy to forget that she is only 20 years old.
She's achieved plenty despite her young age, including making her senior national team debut at age 14.
Danelle also scored in the game making her the youngest goal scorer in Singapore.
Despite racking up these accolades at such a young age, Danelle's route to success wasn't exactly a smooth ride.
For one, being involved in a male-dominated sport meant she never really had any football idols.
"I grew up watching Liverpool. My entire family were Liverpool fans so I really enjoyed watching the likes of Luis Suarez and Philippe Coutinho.
"But I think it felt very different as well, because they were guys," she said.
When asked if she had any female mentors, Danelle did not hesitate to say she had none.
Instead, her role models were off the field.
"Just being able to see how they live their lives, their characters and traits that they embody, I would say that my biggest role models growing up were my parents," Danelle said.
Given her current status as a Singaporean international footballer, the 20-year-old has chosen to take up the role with grace noting that it's a "huge honour" to have young Singaporean girls look up to her.
"I want to show them that it's possible," she said, recalling how women's football wasn't even televised when she was growing up.
Danelle hopes that her journey will kick off an era that understands the importance of more structured pathways, such as academies, professional teams and recreational leagues, for girls aspiring to play professionally — just like their male counterparts.
The hope is that with this, there will be more opportunities for girls to enjoy football "at different levels".
She added: "I think that can really grow the game and not deter girls who want to enter the sport.
"Let that not be a barrier to entry for them."
Danelle eloquently described her time in Germany as "adulting coming full swing" at her.
Whether it was the language, harsh weather or having to live by herself, she understood that her success in Dortmund depended on how quickly she could adapt.
When asked about unexpected challenges, a match during the winter months stood out to her.
Danelle recounted: "It was -1 degrees Celsius, and there were icicles all over the pitch.
"I knew it was going to be cold but I don't think I was fully prepared for the extent of it."
Beyond braving the elements, another hurdle was the German language.
Fortunately, an American teammate fluent in German helped ease her transition process, ensuring she understood what was going on in training.
"I think we connected very easily, because it was just nice to have someone to talk to in English," she said.
Still, Danelle was determined to improve her proficiency in German.
By the end of her time in Dortmund, she noted that she could hold a conversation with a local taxi driver "quite fluently".
Just as she had acclimatised to life in Dortmund, it was time to move again. Her stay in Germany lasted all of one year.
In August 2024, Danelle signed her first professional contract with Australian club Brisbane Roar, making her debut in a 1-2 defeat against Canberra United on Jan 4.
When asked if it felt daunting to start over once more, Danelle responded matter-of-factly.
"That's the life of a footballer," she said.
Danelle acknowledged that living season by season is part of the profession.
Despite the potential highs and lows, she “wouldn't change it for anything."
So far, Danelle has endured a stop-start beginning to time in Australia, missing Brisbane Roar's first eight games of the season due to knee surgery.
Still, she is determined to make her mark down under.
"It feels like so much has [already] happened but, in the grand scheme of things, my career has barely begun," Danelle said.
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