London, Nov 10(ANI): Former Manchester United winger Cristiano Ronaldo has accepted “substantial” libel damages over a newspaper allegation that he had “gone on a bender” at a Hollywood nightclub.

Ronaldo also received an apology over the report published in the Daily Mirror in July last year.

The High Court in London heard the case where the newspaper had reported that Ronaldo had splashed out 10,000 pounds at a nightclub in Los Angeles on champagne and vodka for friends and models, after having himself already drunk four glasses of red wine earlier in the evening over a meal.

The winger claimed that he does not drink alcohol as he takes his health, fitness and recovery from injury very seriously.

“Through me the defendant offers its apologies to the claimant for the distress, embarrassment and offence caused by this article. The defendant accepts that the allegations are false and ought never to have been published,” The Sky News quoted Zoe Norden, solicitor for publishers MGN Limited, told the judge.

“It is, therefore, happy to set the record straight and to apologise to the claimant,” he added.

Meanwhile, in a statement issued through his solicitor, Ronaldo said: “I am delighted with this outcome. I take training and recovery from injury very seriously and would never have ‘gone on a bender’ and danced in a nightclub without my crutches as the Mirror falsely claimed.” (ANI)