‘It’s a big shock for everyone’: Tottenham player Jan Vertonghen reveals his terror over machete raid on his family home
- Jan Vertonghen has spoken of horror of family being terrorised by masked thugs
- He said: ‘I’m OK. The family are in shock but OK. It is what it is’
- It is thought Vertonghen’s wife complied with gang’s demands before fleeing
- Gang of four wearing balaclavas broke into Vertonghen’s £3million home
- The Belgian defender was away in Germany on Championship League duties
Premier League footballer Jan Vertonghen has spoken of his horror after machete-wielding thugs stormed his £3million home and terrorised his family.
The Belgian professional, who plays defence for Tottenham Hotspur, was in Germany when four men wearing balaclavas broke into his north London house.
According to The Sun newspaper, the masked gang fled with electrical goods last Tuesday while Vertonghen’s wife and two children were inside.
Vertonghen, 32, revealed: ‘I’m OK. Obviously it’s a big shock for everyone.
‘The family are in shock but OK. It is what it is.’
Footballer Jan Vertonghen’s home was raided by armed knife-wielding thugs while the defender was away with his club, leaving his young family ‘terrified’
Vertonghen is one of a handful of footballers who have been targeted by armed thugs
He refused to be drawn on telling The Sun what was stolen from his home, telling: ‘We want to keep it as private as we can.’
It is thought that Vertonghen’s wife Sophie De Vries complied with the gang’s demands before they fled the four-storey home.
The family did not suffer any injuries during the incident as police continue investigations into the whereabouts of the perpetrators.
No arrests have yet been made.
A Met spokesperson said: ‘Police were called to a residential address on March 10 to report a burglary. It was reported four men wearing balaclavas, armed with knives, had forced entry and stolen a number of items before leaving.
The football star’s home was targeted while he was away in Germany with his team
Vertonghen’s wife Sophie De Vries and the two children were at home at the time of the attack
Spurs boss Jose Mourinho was seen with an arm around Vertonghen after the game finished
‘Nobody was injured. There have been no arrests made and our inquiries continue.’
A spokesperson for Spurs told The Daily Express: ‘We have been supporting Jan and his family through this terribly traumatic time and we encourage anyone who has any information to come forward to help the police with their investigation.’
Vertonghen is not the first Premier League footballer to have recently had his home targeted by armed robbers. Earlier in the season, Crystal Palace defender Mamadou Sakho lost items worth more than £500,000 when his house was raided.
Mesut Ozil and Sead Kolisinac were targeted while they were out by armed robbers, but the pair managed to fight off the threat and keep hold of their possessions.
It is believed that organised gangs develop an understanding of where top flight players live and target their homes while they are playing for their clubs.
Crystal Palace star Mamadou Sakho lost items worth £500,000 when his home was raided