Ruud van Nistelrooy dresses up as one of three wise men for hospital visit

Former Real Madrid and Manchester United striker Ruud van Nistelrooy took part in a Spanish festive tradition by dressing up as one of the three wise men.

The 36-year-old donned robes and darkened his skin to look like King Balthazar, who is believed to have been a black Arabian scholar.

The retired player attended a hospital in Marbella to give the children presents as part of a tradition adopted in both Spain and Holland for the beginning of January, according to the Daily Mail.

Van Nistelrooy, who posted photos of the occasion on his Twitter account, was met by hoards of people, who lined the streets for the event.