Ex-Premier League star needs 50 stitches after German Shepherd attack

By Adegboyega Adeleye Former Premier League footballer Jermaine Pennant has revealed that he needed more than 50 stitches after a German Shepherd mauled his leg in north London, with his own dog intervening to help fight off the attacker. According to the BBC, the 43-year-old former Liverpool and Stoke City winger was walking his two dogs last week when the German Shepherd latched on to his right leg and refused to let go as he tried to protect his dog, King.

Pennant said King eventually intervened and fought off the attacking dog, preventing what he described as a potentially horrific situation. “I tried to protect King but the dog got my leg, I was on the floor with the dog still attached with no sign of letting go, until King intervened as he didn’t know what was going on,” Pennant said. He told The Sun that he suffered four bite wounds and required more than 50 stitches after receiving hospital treatment.

Although King sustained a small bite, Pennant said his dog was otherwise unharmed. He recalled feeling more concerned about King when he saw blood covering the animal, before realising it was not his. Pennant later shared a photograph on Instagram showing himself with his injured leg bandaged and King beside him on a sofa, describing the dog as his “hero” and thanking his partner, Mimmi Montgomery, for caring for them both.

The former footballer also said he chose not to report the attack to the police. He did not provide further details about the German Shepherd or its owner. Pennant made 231 Premier League appearances during a 19-year playing career before retiring in 2018. He represented clubs including Liverpool and Stoke City and later became a football pundit for TalkSPORT.

He joined Arsenal from Notts County in 1999 for £2.5 million at the age of 15, becoming the most expensive trainee in English football at the time.