The fiancee of England football player Emile Heskey was robbed at knifepoint after two men smashed their way into the striker's home in northern England, the Premier League player said on Wednesday.

Heskey, who plays for Wigan Athletic, said the robbers had kicked down the front door of his house in Hale a week ago while he was training at his club.

They threatened his fiancee, Chantelle, with a knife before stealing jewellery and a BMW X5 car.

"I am very glad and relieved to report that my partner Chantelle was not hurt and my children were away from the house at the time of the incident," Heskey, who has played 45 times for England, said in a statement.

"Chantelle was obviously very upset and shaken by what happened and is still very, very distressed but we both just want to put the ordeal behind us and get back to normality."

Heskey is the latest well-known player to be targeted by thieves. Last December four men broke into England and Liverpool midfielder Steven Gerrard's home while he was away on match duty while his wife Alex Curran was in the house.

She was shaken but unharmed. That break-in occurred weeks after the home of Gerrard's teammate Dirk Kuyt was burgled.