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Chelsea star Raheem Sterling has described being the target of a shocking break-in as the "ultimate violation of privacy and safety."
The former Liverpool winger, who started his career at Anfield and played more than 100 games for the Reds before joining Manchester City in 2015, was at home with his children when masked intruders struck his property. Sterling and his family emerged unscathed from the incident, which took place at 7 pm local time on Saturday.
The culprits departed empty-handed after being caught off guard to discover Sterling was present at the residence. A police report has subsequently been lodged.
In a statement, a spokesperson for Sterling told The Athletic: "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 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."
This marks the second occasion Sterling has been targeted. The former Manchester City star's Surrey residence was targeted during the 2022 World Cup, while he was representing his country.
A man was later charged with 33 offences of conspiracy to commit burglary. While Sterling had to return home from Qatar on that occasion, the 30-year-old has been excluded from Chelsea's squad throughout this season.
That meant on Saturday, he was at home rather than preparing for the Blues' encounter against Wolves.
Sterling was unable to secure a suitable transfer in the summer following his loan spell at Arsenal last term.
The forward has netted 19 goals and provided 15 assists in 81 outings since arriving at the Blues as the marquee signing during the inaugural summer of Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital's ownership of the club.
The four-time Premier League winner last featured in a competitive fixture for Chelsea in May 2024.
Sterling undertakes his training sessions separately from the first-team squad.
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