Cristiano Ronaldo has thanked the Liverpool and Manchester United fans who came together to pay tribute to the five-time Ballon d'Or winner on Tuesday.

Ronaldo missed United's 4-0 defeat to rivals Liverpool at Anfield after the loss of his newborn son.

But supporters of both teams made clear United's number seven was in their thoughts with applause after seven minutes.

        View this post on Instagram                       A post shared by Cristiano Ronaldo (@cristiano)

The Liverpool fans also broke into a chorus of 'You'll Never Walk Alone'.

And in his first Instagram post since confirming his son's death, Ronaldo shared a clip of that moment alongside a message.

"One world... One sport... One global family... Thanks, Anfield," he wrote.

"Me and my family will never forget this moment of respect and compassion."