A season of ups and downs with Brisbane Roar, but Singapore footballer Danelle Tan finds extra motivation

SINGAPORE: From early setbacks to fierce competition for minutes, the road to top-flight football has not been straightforward for Singapore's Danelle Tan.

After signing for the A-League Women side Brisbane Roar last year, the 20-year-old missed the start of the campaign with a knee injury that sidelined her for almost two months.

Since returning to fitness, she has made just three substitute appearances and is still searching for her first goal.

But the fire continues to burn strong within Tan, who said she is even more motivated to keep improving.

"It's been a bit of a whirlwind," she told reporters at a media roundtable on Thursday (Mar 27).

"I guess it's also because this season here (has) no winter break, so all the games come thick and fast.

"(I was) going into a good preseason, and then getting that injury - not an ideal timing for the injury ... sitting out for seven, eight games, and then struggling to find my feet again back in the squad."

Tan, who was the first female Singaporean footballer to play in a European league, signed for Brisbane Roar last year.

"Everybody wants to play and so it's always a bit disappointing when you're not getting the game minutes you want," said Tan, who is now fully fit.

"This is the first time I've played in a season and the season has been cut short by the injury.

"It's been a very different season.  For me, it's just more motivation that I need to keep improving. I need to keep training more and biding my time and taking my opportunities as they come."

A trailblazer in local women's football, Tan previously played for Germany's Borussia Dortmund in the fifth-division Landesliga, scoring 17 goals in 27 appearances during her one season there.

Tan joined Dortmund in July 2023, becoming the