Captain Fantastic Cleiton Silva has been a fan favourite for a long time. He gave back to the Red and Gold Brigade for all their support as he scored the winner in the Kalinga Super Cup final.

The Brazilian forward scored his fifth goal of the tournament as the match went into extra time in the 111th minute. It didn't just bring East Bengal their first trophy in 12 years, but he also became the highest goalscorer of the tournament with that goal.

Cleiton Silva was crucial in the Kalinga Super Cup final match. He wasn't directly involved in the first two goals, but added to scoring the winning goal, he also helped the attack open up the Odisha defense.

Silva has always been a clutch player for East Bengal that delivers on important games. Even though East Bengal ended in 9th place last season, Silva still equalled Diego Mauricio as the highest goalscorer of the season.

As East Bengal try to better their hold in all competitions, Silva has continued to wreak havoc for the opponents. He transferred to East Bengal from Bengaluru FC back in 2022 and he made his place with the team quickly as their captain.

His start to the season wasn't the most impressive. However, he has since turned it around starting with the Kalinga Super Cup. Talking to the media after winning the final, Silva expressed how happy he was to get back into form.

Speaking to Hindustan Times Bangla, Cleiton Silva said, “I didn't play well the first four months of the season. I was not happy with myself at all. Then I took a break for two or three weeks and rebuilt myself.”

He added, “I spent some time with my wife. Now I am determined to play better. I knew that the work I was doing was very important. The coaches and fans had faith in me, so I knew I could turn it around.”