Former England ace Raheem Sterling was forced to confront a burglar who broke into his home with a knife while his family was still inside. The 30-year-old was preparing to watch Chelsea v Wolves on Saturday night when he heard masked gangsters breaking into the upper floor of his Berkshire home.
Acting on pure instinct, Sterling braved the intruders while ensuring the safety of his partner, Paige Milian, and their children, Thiago, 8, and Ty Cruz, 6. He managed to scare them and the gang escaped without taking anything.
“He grabbed a knife from the kitchen block and began confronting the intruder,” a source told the Mirror. “It was pure adrenaline and it worked.
“There was a group of masked people upstairs who were obviously looking around for valuables again. But this time they realized Raheem was in the house and left as Raheem confronted them.”
The break-in happened between 6.30pm and 7pm on Saturday night, just an hour before Chelsea’s 8pm kick-off. Police believe the robbers believed Sterling was attending the match at Stamford Bridge.
It is the third time in seven years that Mr Stirling has been targeted, following incidents at properties in Surrey and Cheshire.
His spokesperson confirmed: “We can confirm that Raheem Sterling was the victim of this weekend’s home invasion. We can also confirm that he and his children were in the home at the time.”
“While this is the ultimate invasion of privacy and safety, we are grateful to confirm that Raheem and his loved ones are all safe. We ask that the privacy of Raheem and his loved ones be respected during this difficult time.”
Thames Valley Police said in a statement: “Officers are carrying out a thorough investigation and are asking anyone with information or who sees anyone acting suspiciously in the area to contact police.”
Chelsea are aware of the incident and have offered support to the player.
During the 2022 World Cup, Sterling left England’s World Cup squad in Qatar after his Cobham residence was targeted while his family was there. Jewelery and watches worth an estimated £300,000 were taken from Stirling’s property during the incident.
Emiliano Croci, 24, was convicted last year of 33 counts of robbery conspiracy. Investigators calculated that around £1,139,000 worth of items were stolen between October 2022 and March 2023.
Surrey Police revealed Croci had a very specific checklist of homes he wanted to target. The break-in occurred in Oxshott, Leatherhead, and was reported to police on December 3, 2022.
Ms Sterling was said to be “upset” and “concerned for the welfare of her children”.
He returned home from the World Cup and then returned to Qatar. The family was not on the premises at the time of the incident.
Mr Stirling’s former home in Goostley, Cheshire, was also the target of a burglary in 2018. However, with the activation of the alarm system, robberies have decreased dramatically.
