Cootamundra Strikers welcomes their latest signing Christopher Tan, to the Gardiner Shield men’s reserve grade side.
The 23-year-old WA import is a journalist for the Cootamundra Times and has been busy immersing himself in the community over the last 3 weeks.
Tan is a pacey winger and is expected to make his debut at home this Sunday at 1pm.
Since Chris moved to town, he has hit the ground running with stories but also in sport, training with the Strikers on Tuesday and Thursday evenings.
Chris started playing soccer when he was 11 for his suburb Ellenbrook United F.C, a playing career that lasted till he was 17.
During those seven seasons, Chris dominated in the striker position, very often bagging two to three goals each Sunday and has always finished the season as the team’s top scorer.
In 2012, he helped his team go all the way to the top with winning the minor premiership, he did not manage to play in the semi-finals due to injury but the side managed to get over the line in gruelling circumstances with penalty shootouts.
Tan returned the following week in the grand final and scored the opening goal as a right-winger, his side completed the double as minor premiers and finals winners after a 3-1 result that afternoon.
Besides winning silverware in junior soccer he also recalled the many times he used to score from the corner spot.
Outside of club soccer, Chris was also involved with his school team and at one stage, he was out refereeing for a junior soccer carnival in the morning, playing a match for his school team in the afternoon, and then heading off to club soccer training in the evening.
Chris joked that he would never reach that level of fitness ever again.
During his spare time Chris would often run 5km or 10km.
Most recently before he left for Cootamundra, Chris was involved in a much more social pace of soccer with indoor futsal.
Three years ago, he gathered a number of his friends and formed two teams, joining a social futsal league, just north of Perth.
When The Times staffer asked Chris what he was hoping to bring to the Strikers, he said it was his passes and pace as an option down the wing.
“I just want to make those passes and be that extra option each time a player looks up,” he said.
“I want to work hard and repay the coach, the players and everyone else that have put faith in me.
“I’ve been given this amazing opportunity to don the Coota Strikers uniform.