Defender Silva leaves Ceres

Ceres-Negros lost a key piece in its title-retention campaign in the Philippines Football League after defender Alvaro Silva left the Bacolod-based club.

The 35-year-old Silva, the only Filipino player to win the AFC Cup, made his decision just a couple of days after the Busmen’s exit in the Asean zone semifinals at the hands of Vietnamese side Hanoi FC.

Silva wrote a heartfelt message on his social media accounts thanking the Bacolod-based club that signed him shortly after his Azkals stint in the Asian Cup in the United Arab Emirates.

“Sometimes difficult decisions must be taken and even though I haven’t been with the club for so long, everyone involved with Ceres made me feel at home,” said Silva, who played all 10 matches for Ceres in the AFC Cup this season. “I am forever grateful to Ceres.”

A tough, no-nonsense defender, who won the AFC Cup while playing for Kuwaiti club Qadsia in 2014, the 6-foot-2 Silva has reportedly gotten offers to move to the Thai Premier League.