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The England player is said to be worried about the well-being of his family after UK media reported the house was ransacked.
England’s Raheem Sterling is returning to the United Kingdom after leaving the World Cup tournament in Qatar to be with his family amid media reports that intruders have broken into his home.
The 27-year-old forward, who has 81 caps for England, was left out of the squad against Senegal on Sunday night which saw England win 3-0 and book a place in the World Cup quarter-finals against France.
The UK’s PA news agency reported on Monday that Sterling was shaken and said to be worried about the well-being of his children after “armed intruders broke into his home while his family was inside”.
“I spent some time with him today. He is going home. And obviously, family is the most important thing at these moments,” England coach Gareth Southgate told reporters in Qatar on Sunday night when asked about reports of a home invasion.
“So we want to give him that space. And we’ll see in the next few days how it all develops,” Southgate said.
“He’s going home and, yes, we’re obviously mindful that he’s being accommodated and [having] Privacy is respected, so we don’t want to talk in more detail,” he said.
The England coach did not elaborate on the incident, saying it is a private matter for Sterling, and would not say whether he would return to the squad in Qatar.
England’s Football Association said Sterling was unavailable for the Senegal match for “personal reasons”, and the England team’s Twitter account said he had been sidelined as he was “dealing with a family matter”.
Raheem is not available for selection for Sterling #three lions Tonight he is dealing with a family matter. pic.twitter.com/CR6cU8J0wE
— England (@England) December 4, 2022
Support for the England international flooded in on social media, with former England player and TV presenter Gary Lineker saying he was thinking of Sterling and his family “after their horrific and harrowing ordeal”.
with thoughts @Sterling7 and his family after their horrific and harrowing ordeal.
— Gary Lineker 💙💛 (@GaryLineker) December 4, 2022
It is unclear whether Sterling will rejoin the England squad in Qatar.
“Obviously it’s not ideal for a group preparing for a game, but in those moments the individual is more important than the group,” Southgate told reporters.
England captain Harry Kane, who scored the second goal of the game against Senegal, said the team wished Sterling well and hoped to see him again “as soon as possible”.
“It’s never easy to see one of your teammates and friends go through something like this,” Kane said.
“So we have to take it day by day, I’m sure Raheem will talk to the manager and make the best decision for him and his family, that’s the most important thing,” he said.
“From our side as a team we send him our best and hope to meet him as soon as possible.”
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