Ex-Man United defender held by armed robbers in terrifying night ordeal

AS Roma's Chris Smalling during the warm-up before a match [REUTERS/Alberto Lingria]

Chris Smalling and his family were subjected to a “night of terror”, according to La Gazzetta dello Sport.

The Roma star - who sat out last night's Europa League tie with Ajax due to a knee injury - was robbed at home in front of his wife, Sam, and two-year-old son, Leo.

The family were sleeping in their home in Appia Antica in central Rome on Friday morning when they were woken by three armed men wearing masks and Smalling was forced to open his safe.

The armed thugs took a Rolex watch, jewels and other precious objects before making off.

Sam called the police at 5am and an investigation is underway

Officers arrived to find the family understandably distressed and Roma have reportedly offered their support to Smalling and his family.

Roma boss Paulo Fonseca had watches and precious objects worth €100,000 stolen from his house in Monteverde in November when he and his family were not at home.

Chris Smalling reacts after Everton's fourth goal during the English Premier League football match between Everton and Manchester United at Goodison Park in Liverpool, north west England on April 21, 2019. [Photo by Oli SCARFF / AFP]

Smalling joined the Serie A club on loan from Manchester United in the summer of 2019 and sealed a permanent transfer to Stadio Olimpico last year.

The former England international has spoke highly of living in the Italian capital in the past and told The Athletic in October 2019: "My wife has always been supportive.

"She said: 'If you want to move, we'll all move. We'll do what's best for your football.' I knew she'd say that, which I appreciated.

"So I moved. I lived in a hotel for a month and we moved into a beautiful house last week. It's 700 hundred years old, just outside Rome.

"It's surrounded by greenery which is important with our dogs. Everyone is here now and that feels good."