England star, Raheem Sterling confronted masked burglars with a knife to protect his children during a terrifying break-in.
According to Daily Mail Sport, the out-of-favour Chelsea winger was the victim of an attempted robbery on Saturday around 7pm, an hour before the Blues were due to face Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Premier League at Stamford Bridge.
Sterling and his family are understood to have escaped after masked men tried to break into their house.
However, it has now been confirmed that the 30-year-old made efforts to protect himself and his children, Thiago, eight, and Thai Cruz, six, during the ordeal and confronted the intruders with a knife.
It is not known whether the perpetrators thought the 30-year-old with 82 caps for England would be at the stadium to watch his side’s 3-0 win over Wolves.
Sterling, 30, lives with his long-term partner Paige Milian and their children. He has not been named in a Blues’ first-team squad this season.
A spokesperson for Sterling told Daily Mail Sport: ‘We can confirm that Raheem Sterling was the victim of a home break-in this weekend.
‘We can also confirm that he and his children were present at home at the time.
‘Whilst the ultimate violation of privacy and safety, we are thankful to be able to confirm that he and his loved ones are all safe. We ask that the privacy of Raheem and his loved ones be respected at this challenging time.’
In a statement, Thames Valley police said: ‘Officers are conducting a thorough investigation and ask anyone with information, or if they saw anyone in the area acting suspiciously, to contact police.’
Chelsea are aware of the incident and is offering their support to the player.
Sterling has also suffered a home break-in before.
The former Liverpool and Man City star left England’s World Cup camp during the 2022 tournament in Qatar after his home in leafy Cobham was raided while his family were inside.
An estimated £300,000 worth of jewellery and watches were stolen from Sterling’s property on that occasion.
In 2023, three men were named as suspects linked with the raid, with police saying they were being sought for questioning relating to 32 other burglaries.
Alfred Isufi, 48, Gerard Kalaja, 22, and Henri Osmani, 44, who are all Albanian nationals, have been accused of targeting wealthy properties in Surrey, Essex, Kent and Hertfordshire.
Surrey World reported in 2024 that authorities believe the trio are no longer in the country.
A fourth man, Emiliano Krosi, 24, was found guilty of 33 counts of conspiracy to commit burglary last year.
