Police were called to the home of Manchester United captain Harry Maguire after he received what was a described as a ‘serious’ bomb threat.
Officers from Cheshire Police conducted a sweep of the England defender’s home in the Wilmslow area just south of Manchester on Thursday afternoon, Sky Sports reported.
“In the last 24 hours, Harry has received a serious threat to his family home,” said a spokesperson for the footballer, who has two young children with fiancée Fern Hawkins.
“He has reported this to the police who are now looking into the matter. The safety of his family and those around him is obviously Harry's number one priority.
“He will continue to prepare for this weekend’s fixture as normal and we will not be commenting in any further detail at this time.”
Police confirmed they had been called to the address, adding that “no evacuations took place, but as a precautionary measure a police explosives dog has attended the address this afternoon, Thursday 21 April, to conduct a search of the gardens and surrounding area.”
Maguire was part of the United team which slumped to a 4-0 defeat at the hands of bitter rivals Liverpool on Tuesday, in what was the latest humiliation for the team in another underwhelming season.
Maguire, 29, has been among the figures to bear much of the brunt of United fans’ ire as well as derision from opposition supporters.
The central defender joined the Old Trafford club from Leicester City in 2019, in a reported £80 million ($105 million) move which is a world record fee for a defender.
But as with the broader United team, Maguire has struggled this season as the Reds scrap for a top-four finish under the management of interim boss Ralf Rangnick, way off the pace from title-chasing Manchester City and Liverpool.
United announced on Thursday that the club was appointing Erik ten Hag as their new permanent manager, with the Dutchman taking over at the end of the season after leaving Ajax.
United are next in action against top four rivals Arsenal in the Premier League in North London on Saturday.