Dele Alli tells of ordeal at hands of masked robbers in his home

ENGLAND FOOTBALLER Dele Alli has spoken of his “horrible experience” after being punched by armed raiders who stole watches and jewellery from his London home.

The Tottenham midfielder, inset, was ordered to hand over valuables during the attack in the early hours of Wednesday.

The masked raiders burst in as he played pool with his brother and model girlfriend Ruby Mae, it was reported.

The two knife-wielding intruders then fled from his home in Hadley Wood in north-east London, near the border with Hertfordshire.

They broke in through the back of the house after evading Alli’s security guard, who stays on the premises overnight, it was reported.

The raid comes two months after fellow Tottenham player Jan Vertonghen’s family was robbed at knifepoint while he was away on Champions League duty and follows warnings over Premier League footballers becoming the “easiest of pickings”.

Alli tweeted: “Thank you for all the messages. Horrible experience but we’re all okay now. Appreciate the support.” Tottenham said it was offering support to the footballer and those isolating with him. Scotland Yard said no arrests had been made.

Hadley Wood is an affluent suburb with average house prices of around £1.4m, benefiting from

“rural aspects and close proximity to London”, according to estate agents.

They describe the area as “a quiet, green, exclusive familybased residential enclave with attractive large homes surrounded by parklands and green belt”.

Last year former soldier Alex Bomberg, who runs security service Intelligent Protection International, said footballers had become the “easiest of pickings” for criminal gangs.

He told the Daily Telegraph robbers were increasingly scouring players’ social-media accounts and fixture lists for prime times to carry out their raids.

In March, Vertonghen was part of the squad that travelled to Germany for a match when four thieves wearing balaclavas raided his home.

They were armed with knives but Vertonghen’s wife and two children were unharmed.