A recent spate of break ins at the homes of Premier League players has led to some players bringing in SAS soldiers to protect them.
Manchester City full back Joao Cancelo took to social media in December to reveal that his house had been broken into, with the family all at home.
Cancelo was left with a cut above his eye after attempting to fight back as the thieves got away with jewelry, and left his family distressed.
Last week Victor Lindelof's family home was also attacked, this time with the Manchester United player at a game, but with his family still inside.
Lindelof's wife, Maja Nilsson Lindelof, revealed that she and her two young kids had to hide away in the house, and they later flew back to Sweden to recover, with the United centre back joining them and missing the weekend victory over West Ham.
According to the Daily Mail, clubs in the north west have now started group chats discussing the problem and sharing information to help safeguard their players.
And some players have even turned to hiring private security firms to keep them and their families safe, which means the use of former SAS soldiers to provide security, especially whilst they're away at matches.
"It's not a new issue, but it is something that has intensified recently," a source told the Mail.
"A lot more of the players are bringing in trained dogs but in some cases they want a physical, human presence in the house and so they are turning to a lot of firms who use guys who are ex-special forces."
The attack on Lindelof's house was the second incident when her husband was playing football that left Maja Nilsson worried, after the centre back had chest problems during a game with Norwich.
The 27-year-old had to be fitted with a heart monitor for two days but he has not had a recurrence of the issue since, which was said to not be connected with the club's recent Covid-19 outbreak that saw the delay of some games.
A number of years ago there was also a spate of break ins in the Merseyside area when Liverpool and Everton players were playing in matches.
Steven Gerrard was amongst a number of players targeted by thieves, who can easily work out when owners are going to be away with their teams.
Featured Image Credit: InstagramTopics: Premier League, Manchester City, Manchester United, Joao Cancelo, Victor Lindelof
Ryan Sidle