Ex-Man Utd star once ‘adopted’ by Cristiano Ronaldo ordered to serve prison time over huge child maintenance debt

Anderson spent eight years at Manchester United, after signing from Porto in 2007, and won four Premier League titles, the League Cup and the Champions League with the Red Devils. The Brazilian midfielder played alongside Ronaldo at Old Trafford and has previously revealed how the Portugal superstar helped him out during his time at the club and almost “adopted” him.

• WHAT ANDERSON SAID ABOUT RONALDO

  He told Globo: “I thank him very much. He adopted me. We [Anderson and Nani] lived at Ronaldo’s house for almost a year. We left because we wanted to leave.

  “For him we could have stayed there. We didn’t spend anything. The guy took us to training, fed us, had a cook for us. There was a swimming pool inside and outside the house, a jacuzzi, and a tennis court.”

• Getty

  WHAT NEXT FOR ANDERSON

  If Anderson does pay his outstanding child maintenance debt then the judge will suspend the arrest warrant against the 36-year-old. If not he faces a spell at the Irmao Miguel Dario Prison in Brazil.