Marcos Rojo: Criminals threatened to shoot my nine-year-old sister and baby godson

Manchester United's Marcos Rojo has courted controversy on social media

Michael Verney

The family of Argentine international Marcos Rojo, who earns €260,000-a-week for Manchester United, were the subject of a vicious attack in their La Plata home as criminals continuously aim to take advantage of the defender's increased wealth.

Rojo signed for the Red Devils in August but has continued to support his family and regularly funnels money back to his next of kin, who live in the impoverished El Triunfo, 40 miles from Buenos Aires.

Thieves attempted to make away with part of his €21million loot in an attack last March and his family have finally broken their silence on the break-in which has left them all deeply traumatised.

The thugs threatened to kill his nine-year old sister Sol and his godson, aged one, as well as attacking his father Marcos and claiming that they would shoot his mum, Carlina.

His sister Noelia, 22, told today's Irish Sun: "We are always scared. They target us because of Marcos. They know the house, everyone knows.

"We have to take every precaution and we don't answer the door to anyone. We had to put bars on all our windows. "It's dangerous being Marcos Rojo's family. But we won't leave because this is our home."

His dad, also Marcos, who made a paltry €3.35 a day as a street-corner churros seller during his son's teenage years, heaped praise on the footballer and the help he gives to his parents and four siblings.

"Marcos provides the whole family with financial help. It's meant we can move to a new house. he's saved us all," he said.

He said his family have moved house once already once thanks to the 24-year-old's wealth but plotters are still attempting to extort cash from the family.

His brother Franco, 21, spoke of the poverty in their area: "There are barely any jobs, especially if you've not done well at school, and Marcos hated it," he said.

"There is a lot of robberies, fighting and even deaths. Football was his saviour. He always played football since he was a little boy."

Franco said his parents invested everything they had in Rojo: "My parents put everything into Marcos being a footballer," he said. "They knew he could help get us out of the barrio which we lived in."

The example set by Rojo, who played in last year's World Cup final, is a model for all professionals as the South American has never forgotten his roots and continues to provide for his family despite the trappings of fame and fortune.