Thierno Barry and his partner were burgled on Thursday night while he was playing for Everton in their Carabao Cup win over Newcastle. 

Barry, 24, and girlfriend Charlene, with whom he shares a one-year-old daughter, were victims of an 'extremely distressing and violating experience'.

Charlene posted on her Instagram story about the incident and requested anyone with information that might help catch the criminals come forward. 

She wrote: 'Unfortunately, our home was burgled this evening while we were at the football match.

'Thankfully, nobody was home at the time, but this is still an extremely distressing and violating experience for us and our family.

'If anyone has seen or heard anything suspicious, or has any information that could help, we would be incredibly grateful if you could get in touch.

'We are also willing to offer a financial reward for any information that helps identify those responsible. Thank you to everyone for your support.'

The opportunistic thieves no doubt would have known Barry would not be at home, with his other half also out of the house watching him in action at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Last month, Charlene shared a video with her 20k TikTok followers inside the walk-in wardrobe in their house, dancing with designer handbags, which the burglars may have targeted during the break in. 

Footballers' houses are regularly targeted while they are playing by criminals who know when they will be out of the house. 

Everton's neighbours Liverpool have had a number of players suffer the same experience over the years, with Sadio Mane, Dejan Lovren, Steven Gerrard, Dirk Kuyt, Pepe Reina, Robbie Keane and Lucas Leiva all going through the ordeal during their times at the club. 

Peter Crouch and Abbey Clancy were victims on two separate occasions and a hooded gang raided Roberto Firmino's house in 2017. Thieves stole £70,000 worth of jewellery, watches and clothes on that occasion. 

Another Everton player, Phil Jagielka, suffered a particularly harrowing episode in 2009 when he was held at knifepoint by an armed gang who broke into his house and forced him to open the safe. 

Barry and his family are the latest victims of the highly upsetting targeting of footballers, with burglars fully aware of valuables kept on site. 

On Thursday evening before he heard the news of the break-in, Barry played the full 90 minutes for Everton and scored in the impressive victory. 

The Toffees ran out 3-1 winners in the fourth-round clash and will travel to play Fleetwood in the next stage. 

Despite the win, much of the discussion on the night surrounded Jack Grealish's absence as he was dropped for failing to turn up to training. 

Grealish was said to be ill when he missed Saturday's trip to Arsenal, which Everton lost 2-0. 

But now the Manchester City loanee has been reprimanded for failing to show for Monday's work-out and was not part of the matchday squad on Thursday night.

Unusually, the club gave the reason in a statement on social media which accompanied the team news: 'Jarrad Branthwaite remains sidelined for a second successive game due to concussion protocols, while Jack Grealish is unavailable for selection due to a breach of Club discipline.'