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England have recovered most of the training equipment stolen before the squad’s arrival in Kansas City ahead of the World Cup.
The items were taken after vehicles transporting equipment to England’s training base at Swope Soccer Village were broken into earlier this week.
Thomas Tuchel’s squad are due to arrive in Kansas City on Saturday as preparations continue for their opening World Cup match against Croatia.
Majority of equipment recovered
Reports have confirmed that most of the missing equipment has now been returned.
Among the items stolen were pieces of footwear, although no specialist match boots or equipment considered essential for training and matches were taken.
The incident was reported to local authorities, who began an investigation after the theft was discovered.
Police officers were present at the training facility on Friday evening and have remained in contact with the Football Association throughout the process.
It is understood that two arrests have been made.
Before the recovery, a spokesperson for Kansas City Police confirmed an investigation was underway.
“We are investigating a possible theft of equipment from a team vehicle that arrived in Kansas City with items missing this evening,” the statement read.
“The investigation is ongoing.”
Personalised boots among concerns
While the stolen footwear was not considered critical to England’s preparations, former England defender Phil Jagielka highlighted the significance of personalised equipment to modern players.
“We have plenty of pairs of boots throughout the season, but for a tournament many players have customised pairs prepared in advance,” Jagielka said.
“Some will have special insoles, while others may include their initials, national flags, their children’s names or personal messages.
“A lot of that work would have been organised months before the tournament.”
Focus shifts to Croatia opener
The incident has not disrupted England’s travel plans, with Tuchel and his players expected to settle into their Kansas City base over the weekend.
England will hold their first full training session on Sunday as attention turns to their opening Group Stage fixture against Croatia on Wednesday.
