‘A lot to smile about’ for Lioness Danelle Tan after season in Japan’s top tier

SINGAPORE – What was initially a routine journey on the team bus gave national footballer Danelle Tan an early insight into Japan’s culture and its deeply ingrained respect for hierarchy.

Having recently arrived at top-flight club Tokyo Verdy Beleza, she thought little of where she sat until she was informed that seats were assigned according to seniority, with older players sitting at the back and the younger ones in front.

It was a memorable introduction to life in Japan and one of many new experiences that Tan has embraced in the latest chapter of her sporting career.

She said: “It was definitely something that I had to get used to but equally, it’s also them having a foreigner come into the team – so many things are new and different.

“But it’s nice because on both sides we are both very respective cultures while also acknowledging that there’s a difference.

“That’s the beauty of football – it brings people who may never meet in person together and it’s a nice exchange of cultures.”

The 21-year-old, who signed a one-year contract with the club for the 2025-26 season, has enjoyed a memorable first stint in top-tier Japanese professional football.

She made 14 appearances across all competitions as the club won the WE League Cup final and qualified for the Asian Women’s Champions League (AWCL) final, where they lost 1-0 to North Korean side Naegohyang Women’s FC.

The campaign was a welcome change from her maiden professional season with Australia’s A-League Women team Brisbane Roar, which was hampered by a knee injury and surgery before it even began.

When she returned to fitness, she had limited game time and wrapped up her stint Down Under with three appearances.

She said: “I was very happy just to be able to get back on the field again after Australia, where I had an injury and surgery, and so to be able to train and play at the highest level again was one of my goals going into the season so I’m very happy to feel the joy of playing football again.

“It was a bit of a bittersweet ending losing to the champions of North Korea in the (AWCL) final – it was not the ending we wanted, but when I look back on the season as a whole, still a lot to be grateful for, still a lot of things to smile about so it was a good season overall.”

At Beleza, she was surrounded by top players such as Hikaru Naomoto and Rikako Kobayashi, who represented Japan at the 2023 and 2019 editions of the Women’s World Cup respectively.

Tan got a close-up view of the habits that built the winning culture of the 2024-25 WE League champions – they finished third in the 2025-26 season – which included arriving an hour before training.

Players also often stay back after training to work on individual aspects of their game.

The forward said: “I learnt a lot on the field, playing at the highest level day in, day out. When everyone in the team is setting that standard, that’s also the standard that you hold yourself to.”

While Tan had to assimilate to a new culture and environment, the transition was eased by the warmth of her teammates and the club’s fans.

One highlight of her time in Japan was scoring her first goal at Ajinomoto Stadium – the club’s homeground – in a 6-0 win over Yokohama FC Seagulls in the Empress’ Cup round of 32.

After scoring the team’s sixth and final goal of the match, she recalled that her teammates celebrated it as though she had scored the winner.

On a separate occasion, she was also heartened to receive a message of encouragement from a fan after a disappointing performance.

She hopes to extend her stay in Tokyo, though nothing is concrete.

She said: “Each season can be so different – injury can taint an entire season and it’s hard to say but I really enjoyed my season in Japan and I’m just hoping to continue building on that.”

With the club season over, Tan has turned her focus to international football, as the Lionesses prepare to play their first games under new coach Mihoko Ishida, who took over from Karim Bencherifa in April.

World No. 152 Singapore will first take on 106th-ranked Indonesia at Stadion Arcamanik in Bandung on June 3, before playing Cambodia (117) three days later.

These matches will serve as preparation for the July 17-26 AFF Women’s Cup in Malaysia, where the Japanese coach is eyeing a run to the final.

Following a training camp in Kota Kinabalu in April, the international window also gives Ishida a chance to familiarise herself with overseas-based players like Tan.

She said: “I presented my way of playing football to the staff and players, then now we have players from overseas as well.

“We’re thinking of how we can play in our first official games with our players and coaches and are building towards that.”

Key to the 43-year-old’s approach is maintaining the same intensity during both training and matches.

She also hopes to create an environment in which players are not afraid of making mistakes and can work well together as a team.

Ishida said: “Now I’ve seen the players and what they can do, we want to perform and play good football.

“Of course no one wants to lose and those two games should lead to further improvements after the international window.”