Raheem Sterling will only re-join England's World Cup squad when his family's safety is guaranteed after they were the victims of a horrific burglary, it has been claimed.
Sterling's Surrey mansion was targeted on Saturday night while he was preparing for England's World Cup clash against Senegal in Qatar. The Chelsea star's partner Paige and their young children were not in the property when the burglary unfolded.
The England international, 27, flew back to the UK on Sunday to comfort his family after the distressing incident. He missed England's 3-0 win later that day and Gareth Southgate has confirmed Sterling will have "as much time as he needs" before re-joining the squad.
Sterling will prioritise his family's safety before making a decision on whether to return to Qatar. A source told The Sun : "Raheem has told everyone, 'There is no way I’m going anywhere unless I’m 100 per cent sure that my family can be kept safe'.
"He is security conscious and part of the reason they moved into the property was that it is on a very exclusive estate, with regular security patrols. Despite this, he has still managed to be targeted, which is very upsetting for Raheem and Paige. They have just moved back to London and want to feel safe."
Sterling is the second Surrey-based England international to be targeted in recent months. Reece James, who is not part of England's World Cup squad due to injury, lost his Champions League winners' medal when he was burgled in September 2021.
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"We are currently investigating a report of a burglary at an address in Oxshott, Leatherhead," read a statement from Surrey Police on Monday. "On Saturday, 3 December, the occupants returned to the address after arriving home from an international trip.
"They contacted police just before 9pm to report a number of items of jewellery, including watches, had been stolen. Officers attended the address later that night and returned to speak to the occupants this morning. At this time it remains unclear on which date the property was stolen and establishing this forms a key part of our investigation.
"Enquiries into the full circumstances remain ongoing and officers will look at all available evidence including any CCTV opportunities. 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.
"Anyone with information should contact police directly if they have not already been spoken to. No arrests have been made at this time."
Southgate confirmed England are willing to give Sterling all the time he needs to ensure his family are safe. He said: "We will have to wait and see [if he'll be back]. At the moment, clearly the priority is for him to be with his family and we're going to support that.
“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... We're going to allow him to have as much time as he needs."
