19 April 2023 , 19:49
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Kate Ferdinand says raids on players’ homes made her too nervous to post on social media while football pundit husband Rio was away for the World Cup.
Kate, 31, who is expecting her second child with Rio, 44, feared someone could track her movements if she put up posts.
She was on red alert after armed robbers burgled Chelsea star Raheem Sterling ’s Surrey mansion while his partner and young children were inside.
Sterling, 28, left his England team-mates and flew home from Qatar, from where Rio was working for the BBC.
She said: “When Rio was away for the World Cup in Qatar, I didn’t want to post my live movements on the internet for people to see what I was doing – especially after the break-in at Raheem Sterling’s home, which was horrendous.
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Kate and Rio married in 2019 (INSTAGRAM)
Raheem Sterling flew home from Qatar after his house was raided (Getty Images)“Since then, I’ve not got back into the habit of regular posting. It gets a bad rap, but social media can be a great source of connection.”
Kate has a son, Cree, with the Manchester United legend and is stepmum to Rio’s children with his late first wife, Rebecca Ellison – Lorenz, 16, Tate, 14, and Tia, 11.
A host of top-flight footballers have been the victim of home burglaries in the past 12 months, including Manchester City’s Joao Cancelo, 28, Man Utd’s Victor Lindelof, 28, and former Man Utd star Paul Pogba, 30.
England ace Kalvin Phillips, 27, admitted at the time the squad were concerned about home security after Sterling’s experience.
England boss Gareth Southgate said: “I can relate to it, I’ve had to put extra security at home because pictures of my house have been published through this tournament.”
Kate told Women’s Health magazine she cried in bed for a week after suffering a miscarriage last July.
She added: “But they [Rio and the kids] showed their care and compassion by giving me time and space.
“On learning I was pregnant again, I was vigilant about any sensation that might hint at something not being right. Now my anxiety has settled, I’ve found a way to enjoy it.”