The Football Association of Hong Kong, China announced earlier that veteran R&F striker Giovane Da Silva has been named as the BOC Life Hong Kong Premier League MVP (November 2019), co-chosen by The Football Association of Hong Kong, China and the Hong Kong Sports Press Association.

Appearing in four matches for R&F in November and scoring four goals, Da Silva admits the monthly MVP honor has arrived at a special time.

“It is perfect timing for me to pick up the award, as I welcome my birthday in November,” revealed the veteran sharpshooter.

“I have always trained hard, as I look forward to November’s arrival, hoping to get named into the Hong Kong Representative Team final squad for the EAFF E-1 Football Championship 2019 Final in Busan, Korea Republic. I ended up scoring regularly in the month, got the recognition from the Hong Kong Representative Team coaching staff and made it to final squad, which pleased me to no end.”  

Having played for renowned local clubs such as Sun Hei and South China in his early days in Hong Kong, Da Silva makes a special shoutout to Hong Kong football and its supporters, thanking them for their support through all these years.

“I want to thank Hong Kong football and its supporters for their support over the years,” said the thirty-seven years-old talisman.

“I have been in Hong Kong for many years now and I have always loved this city. I have always wanted the opportunity to represent Hong Kong on the international stage and I have certainly achieved this goal by playing in a major tournament such as the EAFF E-1 Football Championship 2019 Final.”

“You can tell from my non-stop running on the pitch that I really enjoyed this honor. Hence I must thank the Hong Kong supporters for standing behind me through all these years.”

The Hong Kong Premier League title-chase has been a red-hot affair this season. Despite R&F sitting atop of the league-table at the moment, Da Silva understands his side still needs to face stern challenges from the likes of Lee Man, Eastern Long Lions, Kwoon Chung Southern and Kitchee. Hence, the battle-tested marksman stresses that R&F must stay focused and buckle down, in order to come out on top in the title run-in.

“At this point in the season, we must stay focused on the premier league and try to maintain our lead in the premier league table,” Da Silva pointed out.

“It is frustrating to lose in the Senior Shield semi-final and the Sapling Cup group stage recently but we have done quite well in the premier league this season while scoring lots of goals in the process. Therefore, as long as we can learn from our other defeats and improve our overall defense, I firmly believe we have what it takes to come out on top in the premier league title-chase.”