Police have launched an investigation after the gates of Liverpool footballer Jermain Pennant's Cheshire home were damaged, reportedly by ram-raiders.

Premier League midfielder Jermaine Pennant and girlfriend Amii Grove were at the house when the gates were damaged.

Ram-raiders hit the gates of the mansion before stopping in front of the property in an attempt to steal his cars, according to the Daily Mirror.

The men were disturbed when Pennant, 25, went downstairs, the paper said. Neither Pennant nor Ms Grove were injured.

Speaking on Sky Sports News earlier today, Pennant said: "At first I thought it was my dogs making a racket and then I got up and I've seen headlights at my gate trying to smash through."

The Liverpool midfielder - who was once the UK's most expensive teenage footballer when he joined Arsenal - was most worried about the fact the raiders knew he was home.

He added: "That's probably the scariest part of it - knowing I was inside and still trying to charge in.

"If I'd have confronted them inside, maybe, you know, it would've been a much worse outcome."

Pennant is the latest in a line of Merseyside-based footballers who have been targetted by raiders and burglers.

In the past two years Liverpool players Daniel Agger, Pepe Reina, Dirk Kuyt, Lucas Leiva and captain Steven Gerrard have all been targetted while the team were involved in Champions League clashes while Everton player Andy Van der Meyde had his Ferrari and Mini Cooper stolen in 2006.