Raheem Sterling flies back to England after armed break-in at home
England star Raheem Sterling has left the England World Cup squad in Qatar and returned to London after armed intruders broke into his home whilst his family were inside.
Boss Gareth Southgate confirmed the news after Sunday’s win over Senegal.
“Sometimes football isn’t the most important thing and family should come first,” said Southgate.
It is understood the incident happened on Saturday night and that his three young children were in the home when it happened.
According to a spokesperson for the player, Sterling was “shaken” by the news and “as soon as he was alerted he wanted to get home, concerned for the well-being of his children.”
Southgate added: “We want to give him that space and we will see over the next few days how that develops.”
Teammate Declan Rice said: “I saw him at breakfast this morning then the manager said he had the difficulties at home so we’ve all sent him a message.”
England will face France in the quarter-finals on Saturday.
Sterling is the second player to leave the England camp – Ben White returned to the UK on 30 November for personal reasons.
Sterling started and scored in England’s 6-2 win over Iran in their opening game and played in the draw against the USA.
Southgate opted for Marcus Rashford and Phil Foden to play for the Wales games, but it was expected that Sterling would resume his position for the Senegal game.
Sterling is a key component of Southgate’s team and is often relied upon for key games. There is a chance he may return to the team but England has strength on the bench if he is unavailable for the rest of the tournament.
