"When he is about to shoot me, I pushed him" - Tottenham star opens up on horrifying experience with thief 

Tottenham defender Emerson Royal has revealed the details of the terrifying armed robbery he faced in Brazil.

According to The Mail, the 23-year-old left a nightclub while on vacation in his hometown of Sao Paulo at around 3 am. He was with family and friends when a man held him at gunpoint and demanded his belongings.

The report claims that Royal was taking photos with an off-duty police officer, who then tracked the thief down before drawing his gun and opening fire.

In an interview with Sportv (as quoted by Sport Witness), the Tottenham full-back claimed:

“At that moment, God controlled me in a way… because it felt like nothing was happening. I approached the bandit, saying, ‘Calm down, calm down, everyone is calm, I’ll give you what you want.' When I give him what he wants, I approach him, because I’d already seen his evil look. I saw that he wasn’t just for the watch."

“When I hand it to him, he walks away and unlocks his gun to shoot me. When he’s about to shoot me, I pushed him, slap the gun and he shoots in the air. He fired. It was at that moment, when I pushed him, that he loses his balance and the cop shoots him. Then when he hits the shot, the rush starts.”

The Tottenham full-back added:

“I say, it’s God at the moment. Because we were in a square, there were 15 people more or less. He starts shooting everywhere and doesn’t hit anyone. He fired 17 or 19 shots. He had a gun that was a 9mm, if I’m not mistaken, semi-automatic."

"It’s a weapon that is not normal for a bandit, nor a policeman. Then I understood that it was a moment that could cost me my life, but it served as a lesson for me to be careful in several situations. And I’m calm now.”

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Tottenham defender thanks police officer on Instagram following attempted armed robbery

Following the incident, Royal, who moved to north London from Barcelona last summer, took to Instagram to thank the police officer for protecting him and his family.

As per The Mail, Royal stated:

"God sends angels to Earth, this is being confirmed every day in my life. This human being I call an angel risked his own life to save mine... I will forever be grateful to you!"

"You are essential to me being here today! Thank you, thank you and thank you. (This photo was moments before the event, where he said he was my fan and asked for a photo with me)."