Dog-walking terror: Former Premier League star saved by his own dog after brutal attack

The 43-year-old Englishman, best known for his spells at Liverpool and Stoke City, revealed on social media that he was bitten on the leg by a German Shepherd in North London last week. Pennant was walking his two dogs at the time and was attempting to protect one of them when the incident occurred.

Pennant added in the post that his dog, King, stepped in to help fend off the attacking animal, preventing "what could have been a horrific situation."

The former winger told The Sun that he suffered four bite wounds to his right leg, requiring more than 50 stitches following hospital treatment. He added that King escaped without serious injuries, but provided no further details about the German Shepherd. He also confirmed that he decided against reporting the attack to the police.

"I was attacked by a German Shepherd. I was trying to protect King, but the dog locked onto my leg. I was on the floor and the dog was still attached to me with no signs of letting go. Until King, who had no clue what was going on, stepped in. As soon as he did, he scared the dog off and saved me from what could have been a horrific situation.

King is fine with no injuries, just a small bite on his foot. But he was covered in blood that wasn't mine. At that moment, I forgot about my excruciating pain and my heart sank. Luckily, it wasn't King's blood," the BBC quoted Pennant as saying.

In an image posted on Instagram, Pennant is pictured on a sofa with his leg heavily bandaged next to King. He also thanked his partner, Mimmi Montgomery, for looking after them both: "My hero still protecting me and trying to look after me. King, you are a legend. I love you. Man's best friend. Thank you to Mimmi Montgomery for taking care of us both."

Pennant, who now works as a football pundit for talkSPORT, made 231 Premier League appearances across a 19-year career before retiring in 2018. At the age of 15, prior to his professional debut, he became the most expensive teenager in English football history after completing a £2.5 million transfer from Notts County to Arsenal.