S’porean Danelle Tan Joins Borussia Dortmund Women’s Team, 1st Asian Footballer To Do So

Singaporean Danelle Tan Will Give Up University Spot To Join Borussia Dortmund Women’s Team In 5th Tier

When it comes to football, Singapore’s achievements on the world stage so far have been lamentable.

However, that hasn’t stopped Singaporean footballers from impressing in competitive overseas leagues.

In February, Danelle Tan became the first female Singaporean to play in a European league.

Just a few months later, she’s now the first Asian to join Borussia Dortmund’s Women’s team.

Danelle Tan joins Borussia Dortmund on 1-year deal

The momentous news was announced by the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) in a Facebook post on Friday (9 June).

They said the 18-year-old will join Borussia Dortmund’s women’s team on a one-year contract, which begins next month.

She will meet the team for pre-season training in July, before starting the season proper in August.

Borussia Dortmund welcomes Danelle Tan

In an Instagram post on the same day, Borussia Dortmund Frauen said Danelle will be their second signing of the summer.

She has already been to the German city of Dortmund, where the team is based, several times in the last few months, they added.

Danelle trained with the team for a week in February after meeting Dortmund’s head of women’s football Svenja Schlenker, reported The Straits Times (ST).

She was then offered a proposal to join them on a permanent basis.

They welcomed her to the team in their post, saying they’re looking forward to seeing her.

Danelle feels ‘blessed & privileged’

In her own Instagram post on Friday (9 June), Danelle just said she “can’t wait to get started”.

She told ST that she felt “incredibly blessed and privileged” to get such an opportunity, and hopes to make the most of it, adding,

The club have ambitious plans and their massive fan base were big swing factors for me.

The footballer will now spend lots of time on physical conditioning so that she’ll be ready to help Dortmund climb the leagues.

Borussia Dortmund Women is in 5th tier

Football fans will know that Borussia Dortmund’s men’s team is in the Bundesliga, the top tier of Germany’s football pyramid.

They ended the 2022/2023 season in second place after blowing their lead on the very last day of the season with a draw against Mainz, allowing Bayern Munich to beat them to the title.

Borussia Dortmund Frauen, on the other hand, are in the fifth tier of women’s football.

However, that’s not bad for a team formed only in 2021.

They started out in the seventh tier, scoring two consecutive promotions to land themselves in the fifth tier for the coming season.

With Danelle on board, they’re poised for even greater heights.

Danelle gave up her place in university

This opportunity didn’t come easily for Danelle, however — she had to make a sacrifice.

By deciding to join Borussia Dortmund, she effectively gave up her place in university.

She was supposed to begin her studies at the College of William and Mary in the United States (US) in January 2024, on a part football scholarship.

Danelle was the first Singaporean to be accepted into such a programme in the US.

Giving up that chance may not seem like a typically Singaporean thing to do, but her family are apparently fully supportive of her, judging from their beaming smiles as they posed with her new jersey.

Danelle made her European debut in England

Of course, this isn’t her first time playing in Europe.

On 5 Feb, she made her European debut for London Bees, a team in the third tier of the women’s game in England.

This made her the first female Singaporean to play in Europe.

Danelle found her way to England as she went there to study for her ‘A’ Levels.

She went for a trial at the London Bees and reportedly impressed them so much that they registered her as an attacking midfielder, also becoming the youngest player in the club.

Before that, she had already played for Singapore’s national team and represented us at competitions like the SEA Games.

Wishing her all the best for her future

With such stellar achievements at the age of 18, it’s no doubt that Danelle will do Singapore proud.

We’ll be watching her development with great interest as we wait for her to join the roster of Singaporean athletes who’ve repeatedly made history.

We congratulate her on her accomplishments and wish her all the best for her future.

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Featured image adapted from @danelle_tan on Instagram and @bvb09frauen on Instagram.