Former England ace Raheem Sterling was forced to confront burglars who broke into his home while his family were still inside, with a knife. The 30-year-old was preparing to watch the Chelsea v Wolves match on Saturday night when he heard the masked gang break into the upstairs of his Berkshire property.
Acting on pure instinct, Sterling ensured his partner Paige Milian and their children Thiago, eight, and Thai Cruz, six, were safe before bravely confronting the intruders. He managed to scare them off, with the gang fleeing without taking anything.
"He grabbed a knife out of a block in the kitchen and went to confront the intruders," A source told the Mirror. "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."
The break-in occurred between 6.30-7pm, just an hour before Chelsea's 8pm kick-off on Saturday night. Police think the burglars believed that Sterling would be at Stamford Bridge for the game.
This is the third time in seven years that Sterling has been targeted, following incidents at properties in Surrey and Cheshire.
His spokesperson confirmed: "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."
Thames Valley police issued a statement saying: "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 offering their support to the player.
During the World Cup in 2022, Sterling left England's World Cup squad in Qatar after his Cobham residence was targeted whilst his family were inside. An estimated £300,000 worth of jewellery and watches were taken from Sterling's property on that occasion.
Emiliano Krosi, 24, was convicted of 33 counts of conspiracy to commit burglary last year. Investigators calculated that around £1,139,000 worth of items were stolen across a period spanning October 2022 to March 2023.
Surrey Police revealed Krosi had a very specific checklist for homes he wished to target. The break-in occurred in Oxshott, Leatherhead, and was reported to police on 3 December 2022.
Sterling was said to be "shaken" and "concerned for the wellbeing of his children".
He returned home from the World Cup before going back out to Qatar. The family were not at the property at the time of that incident.
Sterling's former residence in Goostrey, Cheshire, was also a target for burglars back in 2018. However, they scarpered when the alarm system was triggered.