Raheem Sterling: what have police said about raid on England star’s family house in Surrey?

Police have said that burglars stole watches and jewellery - thought to be worth hundreds of thousands of pounds - from Raheem Sterling’s family house in Surrey.

Surrey Police have confirmed they are investigating the raid on Saturday, which led to the England ace flying home from the World Cup and missing the last 16 clash against Senegal. The Chelsea forward was not part of Gareth Southgate’s squad as they beat the African champions Senegal 3-0 on Sunday (4 December) to set-up a quarter-final clash with France.

The England international has been left shaken and concerned about the well-being of his partner Paige Milian and their three children. Intial reports suggested Ms Milian, 27, was at home when the burglars broke in, but the force said she arrived home some time after the inicident at the £6million Surrey pad.

What have police said about the burglary on Raheem Sterling’s family house?

A statement from Surrey Police read: “We are currently investigating a report of a burglary at an address in Oxshott, Leatherhead.

“Police were contacted just before 9pm on Saturday, 3 December after the occupants of the property came home and discovered a number of items including jewellery and watches had been stolen. Enquiries to establish the circumstances are under way and the investigation is ongoing.

“No threat of violence was involved as the items were discovered stolen retrospectively. Enquiries into the circumstances are ongoing.”

What have Gareth Southgate and Harry Kane said?

The England Twitter account posted: “Raheem Sterling is not available for selection for the #ThreeLions tonight as he is dealing with a family matter.”

When asked if he thought the 27-year-old would figure at the tournament from here, manager Southgate said on ITV1: “We’ve got to wait and see. At the moment clearly the priority is for him to be with his family, and we’re going to support that and we’re going leave him to have as much time as he needs. He’s going home.”

He added: “I really don’t know (the likelihood of him returning) because at the moment it’s a situation that he needs time with his family and I don’t want to put him under any pressure with that. Sometimes football isn’t the most important thing and family should come first.”

In a press conference after the game, Southgate told reporters: “Raheem, as the FA statement says, is having to deal with a family situation, so he’s going back to England. 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.

“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.”

While skipper Kane said: “Our thoughts are with him and his family. “It is a private matter with him, but it’s never easy to see one or 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.”

England will play France on Saturday (10 December) in the final quarter final game. The Three Lions overcame Senegal 3-0.