Masked men broke into Raheem Sterling’s home while the footballer was with his children, according to reports.
The Chelsea player was a victim of a break-in at around 7pm on Saturday, an hour before the west London club kicked off against Wolverhampton Wanderers at Stamford Bridge.
Sterling instinctively responded to the break in, ensuring his partner Paige Milian and children Thiago, eight, and Thai Cruz, six, were safe before going upstairs to confront the group.
The 30-year-old reportedly confronted the men with a knife.
According to the Mirror, a source said: "He grabbed a knife out of a block in the kitchen and went to confront the intruders. It was acting on pure adrenaline but it worked.
"There was a group of them upstairs in masks and they were obviously looking around for any valuables yet again. But this time they made off when they realised that Raheem was at home and he confronted them."
A spokesperson for the footballer said: "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."
This is the third time in seven years Sterling has been targeted by burglars, after incidents took place at properties in Surrey and Cheshire.
One took place during the 2022 World Cup after burglars broke into the footballer’s home. Sterling flew back to the UK from Qatar following the break-in at his family home, missing England’s knockout fixture with Senegal.
An estimated £300,000 of designer gear was taken from the footballer’s home in Oxshott, Surrey, the Sun reported at the time.
Following an investigation, Emiliano Krosi, 24, was found guilty of 33 counts of conspiracy to commit burglary. According to the Surrey Police, Krosi had a very specific checklist for homes he aimed to target and between October 2022 to March 2023, he had stolen around £1,139,000 worth of items.
A spokesperson for the footballer told the Daily Mail that Saturday’s attempted burglary was “the ultimate violation of privacy and safety” but explained that Sterling and his family were safe.
Meanwhile, the Telegraph reports that masked men tried to break into the house, but that other details of the attack remain unclear.
The 30-year-old lives with his partner and three of their children at the home.
Thames Valley Police has confirmed that it has launched a “thorough investigation” into the break-in.
In a statement, the force 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 FC is understood to be aware of the incident and the club is supporting Sterling.
The footballer has not played for Chelsea since May last year and last played a senior game while he was on loan at Arsenal.
