Officers say no one was at England footballer’s Leatherhead home when jewellery and watches stolen
Jewellery and watches were among items stolen at the Surrey home of the England footballer Raheem Sterling in a burglary that forced the winger to return to the UK from the World Cup in Qatar.
Surrey police confirmed they were investigating a burglary at a property in Oxshott, Leatherhead, after Sterling missed England’s win against Senegal in the knockout stages of the tournament on Sunday due to a “family matter”.
The force said it was contacted at 9pm on Saturday after Sterling’s family returned home from an international trip to discover items missing. It remains unclear on which date the burglary occurred.
There had been no threat of violence involved and no one present at the property when the burglary took place, contrary to some media reports overnight, the police said.
“We are aware of media reports stating there were armed suspects involved, however, at this time, we would reassure our communities that no witnesses have come forward to this effect and there are no reports of any threats of violence linked to this incident,” Surrey police said.
On Sunday, the official England Twitter account posted: “Raheem Sterling is not available for selection for the #ThreeLions tonight as he is dealing with a family matter.”
No arrests have been made at this time.
The FA will reiterate to England’s players that additional security measures can be put in place at their homes while they are away from the UK.
English football’s governing body spoke to the squad before the World Cup to inform them that they would have access to extra support before flying out to Qatar. The FA liaises with local police forces in the UK when players request beefed-up security at their residences.
It is not yet clear whether Sterling will return for Saturday’s match against France, with Southgate saying he and everyone else would have to “wait and see” regarding the 27-year-old’s availability.
“Raheem, as the FA statement says, is having to deal with a family situation, so he’s going back to England,” the England boss said during a press conference at Al Bayt Stadium. “We’ve got to give him time to try to resolve that or be there for his family. That’s the most important thing at this time, so we’re going to give him that space.
“It didn’t impact team selection. I spent a lot of time with Raheem this morning, but you know you have days where events happen and you have to deal with them. He’s on his way home and, yeah, we’re obviously mindful of him being allowed space and [having] privacy respected, so we don’t want to talk in too much detail.
“Of course it’s not ideal for the group ahead of a big game, but it pales into insignificance – the individual is more important than the group in those moments. So, I needed to look after the situation and then I had to pass it on to others to deal with this afternoon in order to get him home.”
The England captain, Harry Kane, sent his best wishes to Sterling at the man of the match press conference in Al Khor.
“Our thoughts are with him and his family,” he said. “It is a private matter with him, but it’s never easy to see one of your teammates and friends have to deal with something like that.
“We will take it day by day and take the best decision for him and his family. From us as a team, we send him our best and hope to see him as soon as possible.”
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