Another top Filipino football player has secured a move to compete in one of Southeast Asia’s prestigious top-flight divisions.
Manny Ott, formerly of United City, announced that he has signed an agreement with Melaka United to compete in its 2021 season, Saturday afternoon.
The 28-year-old leaves Philippine shores as a one-time champion of the United Football League in 2015 with Ceres-Negros. He also attained runner-up finishes in the United Football League Cup during the 2015 and 2016 editions.
When the Philippines Football League formed, Ott was part of the Leo Rey Yanson-backed team that became champions in the competition’s 2017 and 2018 seasons.
He also played a crucial role in helping Ceres-Negros reach the top of Southeast Asian football. He scored a decisive goal against Singapore’s Home United to help the club win the ASEAN Zonal Final during the 2017 AFC Cup.
This is not the first time the 5-foot-8 midfielder is trying his luck in another top division within Southeast Asia.
Back in 2019, he played in the Thai League 1 with Ratchaburi Mitr Phol Football Club, but saw his time there hindered due to injuries.
Ott joins a side looking to improve its ninth-placed finish in the 2020 season of the Malaysia Super League.
He is one of seven signings Melaka United have made to strengthen its standing under the tutelage of head coach Zainal Abidin Hassan. The club’s last title was in 2016, when it became champions of the country’s second division.
The FC Ingolstadt 04 youth product is the latest player to leave United City this off-season following the exits of OJ Porteria and Dennis Villanueva. The future of talismanic skipper Stephan Schrock remains unetermined.
