Rio de Janeiro Aug 17 (IANS) The son of retired football great Ronaldinho has begun training with the youth academy of Brazilian Serie A club Cruzeiro.

Joao Mendes 13 was approved in a trial last month without revealing his identity Globo Esporte reported on Thursday.

Despite being free to train and play with the Belo Horizonte club s junior teams Mendes cannot sign a professional contract until he is 14 due to Brazilian law reports Xinhua news agency.

A striker Mendes said his father has taken a keen interest in his budding football career.

"He always supports me " the teenager told Radio Itatiaia.
"It has always been my dream to be a footballer and it must be a dream for him too to have a son who plays."

Mendes is also understood to have sparked interest from Paris Saint-Germain where his father played for two seasons before his 2003 move to Barcelona.

Ronaldinho 38 announced his retirement in January after a career that included a World Cup trophy a UEFA Champions League title a Copa Libertadores and two FIFA World Player of the Year awards.

--IANS ajb/sed