LONDON (AP) -Real Madrid winger Cristiano Ronaldo has accepted libel damages from a tabloid newspaper that claimed he drank heavily and danced at a nightclub while recovering from a foot injury in Los Angeles.

Ronaldo, who says he does not drink alcohol, received an undisclosed amount of compensation and an apology from the Daily Mirror when the case came before the High Court on Monday.

The Portugal international said in a statement that he takes training and recovery from injuries very seriously, adding that he would never have "gone on a bender" and danced in a nightclub after discarding his crutches as the Mirror falsely claimed in July 2008.

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