'Criminals watching' How sports stars are a growing target for burglaries

The best year of my life in football now doesn't feel like something I can celebrate," said Manchester City's Jack Grealish after burglars raided his Cheshire home while his family were inside.

- Hannah Al-Othman

The invasion of the England football player's home was one in a recent string of burglaries that targeted the homes of high-profile sports stars when they are on the field or overseas.

To criminals, the home of a footballer is no doubt an attractive proposition; likely to contain tens or even hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of high-value goods, including electronics, jewellery, watches and designer clothing.

And with burglars able to gauge their best opportunities from the social media accounts of sports stars, who often post about their time away training or on family holidays - or even simply from the fixtures timetable - they often strike when the players are absent.

The County Durham home of England cricket captain Ben Stokes was burgled last month while he was away in Pakistan for the Test series, but his wife and children were home. A man has been arrested and bailed in connection with the incident.

Last year there were at least five burglaries on the homes of footballers alone, including the Newcastle United midfielder Joelinton's Northumberland house, and the Essex home of West Ham's Kurt Zouma, who is currently on loan in Saudi Arabia.

Thieves targeted Grealish's Cheshire home while he was playing on Boxing Day. His family were there at the time, and burglars escaped with £1m worth of possessions.

"This has been a traumatic experience for all of us, I am just so grateful that nobody was hurt," Grealish later wrote on Instagram.

"I have had so many amazing experiences and achievements over the last 12 months, but to be honest, the best year of my life in football now doesn't feel like something I can celebrate.