Attempted robbery at gunpoint against Emerson Royal

Brazilian right back Emerson Royal, a Tottenham player, escaped unharmed from an attempted robbery at gunpoint early Friday morning while enjoying his vacation in the interior of the state of Sao Paulo.

"It was a complicated moment, but now I'm going to rest and then I'll take a position," the former Real Betis and Barcelona player told reporters after filing a complaint at the police station.

The attempted robbery took place outside a nightclub in the municipality of Americana (southeast) where Emerson had met with some family and friends.

According to Emerson Aparecido de Souza, father of the Brazilian international, a suspect approached him in the parking lot to rob him at gunpoint, but a policeman dressed in civilian clothes, who had approached him to take a photo with his idol, tried to stop him.

That is when an exchange of gunfire began, in which the suspect was wounded and later was taken to a hospital for surgery, according to the Sao Paulo Military Police.

"At a moment when bandit was distracted, the policeman started exchanging shots with him. Everyone ran, everyone went to a corner. It was a terrible scene," the soccer player's father told local media.

Emerson Royal, born in Sao Paulo, is spending a few days on vacation in his home country after a long season with Tottenham.

Formed in the youth ranks of Ponte Preta, he played for Atletico Mineiro before making the move to European football, where he had spells with Real Betis and Barcelona and now plays for the London club.

The 23-year-old right back has also been a regular in recent Brazil national team call-ups and is a serious candidate to be part of the final squad for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, which starts in November.