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The 43-year-old was out for a dog walk in north London last week when he was suddenly attacked by a German Shepherd.

The ex-Liverpool and Arsenal winger said the dog sank its teeth into his leg and refused to let go as he tried to protect his own dog, King.

The talkSPORT pundit was then saved by King, an American Akita, who fought off the attacking dog, preventing "what could've been a horrendous situation", Pennant said in an Instagram post.

Pennant told the Sun he required more than 50 stitches to his right leg after sustaining four bite wounds in the attack and receiving hospital treatment.

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He added that King was "unhurt" but did not give details about the German Shepherd. He said he declined to report the attack to police.

"King was unhurt with a little nip on his leg, but had blood covered all over him which wasn't mine.

"At this point I forgot the agony I was in, and my heart sank, but it wasn't King's."

The picture uploaded to Instagram shows the former footballer with a bandage on his leg alongside King on a sofa.

Pennant also thanked his partner Mimmi Montgomery for looking after them.

"My hero still protecting me and trying to look after me. King you're a legend, love you, man's best friend. Thanks Mimmi Montgomery for taking care of us both."

Pennant made 231 Premier League appearances in a 19-year career before retiring in 2018.

There were 31,920 dog attacks on people recorded in England and Wales in 2024 - a 2% increase on 2023.