Raheem Sterling: England star considering World Cup return after horror experience

Raheem Sterling left England's base in Qatar ahead of their round of 16 game against Senegal on Sunday, after being informed about a break-in at his home in England. It left the star shaken, as his family was present during the time of the burglary.

The Chelsea forward rushed home to be with his wife and young children, and is still considering whether to return to Qatar. England booked their place in the quarterfinals with a convincing 3-0 win over Senegal on Sunday with goals from Jordan Henderson, Harry Kane and Bukayo Saka.

Sterling remains an integral part of Gareth Southgate's squad, but the manager had no qualms over allowing him to return to England. The Three Lions boss feels family should come first, and is ready to accept any decision the former Manchester City star makes.

"Sometimes football isn't the most important thing and family should come first," Southgate said, as quoted by the BBC. "We want to give him that space and we will see over the next few days how that develops."

Sterling's teammate Declan Rice confirmed that the English forward was present at breakfast on Sunday morning before suddenly taking a leave of absence. The West Ham United midfielder revealed that the team were made aware of the situation, and they have all sent messages of support to their teammate.

A source close to the Sterling family spoke to The Sun, and explained the horrific nature of the incident. The Chelsea star's wife Paige Milian and their two kids were at home when burglars broke in, and have reportedly made away with £300,000 worth of watches.

"This was terrifying for her and obviously traumatic for all the family," the source said. "Raheem will have been beside himself with worry when he heard."

"It looks like about £300,000 of watches have been taken. The police were there several hours."

Sterling is currently in England, and according to The Times' Henry Winter, the England international is still open to returning to Qatar to be a part of his nation's World Cup campaign. However, he is expected to make a final decision only after ensuring the safety and wellbeing of his young family.