Montevideo, July 11 (IANS): Former Manchester United striker Diego Forlan has returned to his boyhood club Penarol.

The move, declared on Friday, means he will for the first time represent the club where his father Pablo won the Copa Libertadores and Intercontinental Cup, reports Xinhua.

The 36-year-old, who announced his international retirement earlier this year, was part of Penarol's youth ranks before joining their local rivals Danubio in 1991.

"With a surname linked to the club's history, son of a champion of the Americas and the world with Penarol, Diego will wear the yellow and black as he did when he was a boy and dreamed of being a professional footballer," the Montevideo club said in a statement.

Former Uruguay captain Forlan, who was voted the best player at the 2010 FIFA World Cup when he led the team to the semi-finals in South Africa, has spent the past 18 months with Japan's Cerezo Osaka.

He is expected to make his debut in a friendly against an unnamed Argentine side on August 8.

No details were given about the value and the length of the contract.