The thugs took off with £35,000 worth of the England ace’s watches and gems – including a Rolex.
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But Dele’s ex Ruby Mae has now told all to The Sun about how the horror unfolded – and the fact the attackers are still at large.
The 29-year-old said she had been up in the bedroom while the footballer and his pals were downstairs playing pool.
Ruby said she had just taken their poodle Uno outside to go toilet before the two masked men broke in.
They roughed up Dele, before trying to rip the models rings and bracelets off.
Talking for the first time about her ordeal in London, she said: “I thought I was going to be killed.
“It was terrifying. I was just hoping for it all to be over and for us to be safe.”
Desperate Ruby said her instant reaction was to shield Uno at the £2million North London home.
The model bravely said: “When the burglar came in, my first instinct was to protect the dog.
“I wasn’t answering any of their questions as I was in shock and didn’t know, at this point, that there were two of them — and that one was already taking the jewellery with Dele.
“I couldn’t get the jewellery off as I was panicking and holding the dog behind me.
“I wasn’t answering his requests and I was terrified they were going to hurt Uno.
“I didn’t know whether to tell them or not, and I didn’t even know where everything was. I wasn’t thinking straight.”
The traumatised model was laying in the dark as the men with concealed weapons burst into the bedroom.
She said that the thugs roughed up Dele and made him hand over three watches, including a Rolex.
Ruby was in bed with the lights off and as the men grabbed her arms for her rings and bracelets.
They failed to take them before panicking and fleeing with the goods.
Ruby and Dele’s relationship
Ruby and Dele split in 2021 — less than a year after the raid — with Ruby saying they “drifted” and lost their spark.
They had met in a London bar in 2016 and for five years were one of the most photographed young couples in Britain.
Ex-Tottenham midfielder Dele won PFA Young Player of the Year two years running, and made his Three Lions debut aged 19 in 2015.
He scored in a 2-0 win over Sweden in the quarter-finals of the 2018 World Cup in Russia, with Ruby, from Wigston, Leics, cheering him on with other Wags.
But Dele lost his place in the England squad for the Euro 2020 qualifiers and has yet to be recalled.
He left Spurs for Everton in January 2022, but failed to impress and went on loan to Turkish side Besiktas.
He returned early and has yet to play for Everton this season.
Last year Dele revealed that one of his mum’s friends had abused him as a child.
He also spent six weeks in rehab in the United States for an addiction to sleeping pills.
Last Monday Dele appeared on Sky Sports as an analyst as his side were hammered 6-0 by Chelsea.
He revealed his ambitions to play for England again saying: “You know you can set reminders on your phone. I have a reminder at 11 o’clock every day that says ‘World Cup 2026’. That’s my aim for now.
“I know how good I can be when my head is in the right place, and I’m feeling good.”
Ruby remains a successful model and said: “People think it’s a glamorous life but it’s quite cut-throat with a lot of pressure to look a certain way.
“The good things are that you get to meet amazing people, work with different brands daily and travel.”
Ruby recalled: “It was like a movie. I feared all sorts of things were going to happen.
“I honestly didn’t know what was going to come next.”
She had been watching Netflix thriller Dead To Me, and Dele and pals were playing pool downstairs when the burglars evaded security to get in through the back door.
Ruby said: “They roughed up Dele and forced him upstairs with them into the wardrobe area, which is separated from the bedroom.
“I couldn’t see the door from the bed but Dele’s friend came up first.
“They came to me in a panic and I instantly realised something was wrong. His friend wouldn’t have usually come into the bedroom.
When the burglar came in, my first instinct was to protect the dog.
Ruby Mae
“Behind the friend, towards the door was what looked like a silhouette. I was confused and said, ‘Dele?’ and the guy didn’t answer.
“I realised this guy was not the same height or body structure as Dele. He came over to me and was very intimidating.
“He started asking me where everything was while trying to take off my bracelets and rings.”
Ruby said the raiders began to panic when they realised how long they had been in the house.
She added: “They jumped the fence out the front and ran away with whatever they had both managed to find. I don’t have a clue how they got past the security and into the house.
“The police turned up a few minutes later. They were very helpful and made sure we were OK.”
Met Police’s statement at the time
Police were called at approximately 00:35hrs on Wednesday, May 13 to reports of a robbery at a residential address.
Two males gained entry to the property and stole items of jewellery, including watches, before fleeing.
Two male occupants at the property suffered minor facial injuries after being assaulted.
They did not require hospital treatment. There have been no arrests. Enquiries into the circumstances continue.
Dele, 27, his adoptive brother Harry Hickford, 27, and the pal were badly shaken.
Ruby added: “It affected all of us. To get burgled is one thing, but to get burgled when you’re in is so scary. All of us were speechless.
“We were all just like, ‘What the hell has happened?’ We didn’t even know what to say to each other.
“We were all very emotional and up and down. We were tired and had to do the police interviews. It was all very traumatic.
“Psychologically, it has had an impact. Being home alone is scarier than it once was.
“Every now and then I still think about it. I can’t believe it happened. It was awful.”
A watch is a watch, who cares. As long as you’re safe, that’s the most important thing.
Ruby Mae
After the raid in May 2020’s Covid lockdown, police gave Dele and Ruby alarms to activate if they were in danger which signalled directly through to cops.
Ruby said they randomly sounded weeks later and police turned up with a dog unit within moments.
The alarms were on top of the 24-hour security they already had in place before the break-in.
No arrests have been made and the attackers remain at large.
Ruby said: “It’s a pretty weird feeling knowing the people who did it never got caught and are still out there.
“But they took stuff that can be replaced, so I’m just glad we all got through it without something really serious happening.
“A watch is a watch, who cares. As long as you’re safe, that’s the most important thing.”
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