ENGLAND football bosses reportedly believe the robbery which stole the team’s boots and equipment was an inside job.
Training equipment was stolen during the transit from West Palm Beach in Florida to the team’s base in Missouri.
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England’s Dan Burn, Harry Kane, Anthony Gordon and Eberechi Eze during training Credit: Reuters
Jordan Pickford 1 of England makes a save during a training session Credit: Getty
FA staff have pointed the finger at drivers trusted by a third-party firm to transport the goods 1,400 miles across four states, the Daily Mail reports.
Sources claimed that “just about everything” was taken from one van.
This includes World Cup match boots to be worn by Thomas Tuchel‘s men – custom- designed to best suit each of them.
The value of these tailored items would be worth thousands of pounds to the thieves.
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“We have plenty of pairs of boots throughout the season, but for the tournament a lot of them will have them personalised,” former England defender Phil Jagielka told BBC Sport.
“A lot of them may have their own special insoles.
“Then you could choose whether to have the flag, your initials, your kids’ [names], nicknames… All this would have been done months in advance.”
FA staff were scrambling to find boots for their top stars. The report adds just one football remained in the load after the theft.
Harry Kane (C) of England and teammates attend a training session in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida Credit: EPA
Coolers are carried out during a training session Credit: Getty
The bandits had even attempted to take the players’ table-tennis table – used by them during breaks – but it was smashed in the process.
Frantic phone calls were made to police as soon as it was discovered that all the equipment had been lifted.
Two arrests have been made in connection with the staggering incident, and last-minute attempts are being made to retrieve all the equipment.
“We are investigating a possible theft of equipment from a team vehicle that arrived in Kansas City with items missing this evening,” police said.
“The investigation is ongoing. Two subjects of interest were taken into custody pending further investigation.”
As the magnitude of the impact sinks in, staff will no doubt be scrambling to source any replacement equipment as soon as possible.
Tuchel’s side will train at their base for the first time this afternoon.
England begin their World Cup campaign against Croatia on Wednesday and this will have a major impact on preparations.
