Ronaldinho's son Joao Mendes de Assis Moreira has signed his first professional contract with Cruzeiro.

The promising forward, who will be playing with the under-14 squad, has signed a deal for several years, sources told ESPN Brasil.

Filho de Ronaldinho assina contrato com Cruzeiro e firma primeiro vínculo profissional da carreirahttps://t.co/dJMNzM8Hye pic.twitter.com/Zhep2qMo3q

— Mundo ESPN (@ESPNagora) April 5, 2019

"[Cruzeiro] were the team that opened the gates for me. I am very fond of the club," he said. "The training sessions are great and the infrastructure is top level. We're talking about Brazil's best club and it's a pleasure to be here."

Cruzeiro were unaware that Joao was the son of former Brazil international Ronaldhino until after he joined the club.

"He's a promising player with an interesting style," Amarildo Ribeiro, who runs Cruzeiro's youth teams, said. "I believe it won't take too long for him to go pro.

"He's really athletic and has great technique. He can play both the striker and center attacking midfielder positions. He's tall, but he can run. He can put it in the back of the net too."

Ronaldinho started his career with Gremio before moving to Paris Saint-Germain in 2001. After helping Brazil win the World Cup, he joined Barcelona in 2003, where he won the Champions League.

He also played for AC Milan, Flamengo, Atletico Mineiro, Mexico side Queretaro and Fluminense before retiring in 2015.