Ian Wright, 50, had to cut short his work for ITV at the World Cup in Brazil and rushed home to look after his wife Nancy, 39, and their daughters, aged two and four, after an armed gang broke into his family home.
Speaking to The Sun, he said the men were wearing masks when they barged inside his North London house - and held a Stanley knife to his wife's throat.
"They threatened to cut her fingers off and even threatened to do the same to the children, who were both upstairs in their bedrooms.
"Nancy was praying the children wouldn't wake up.
"It would have been devastating for them to see what was happening."
The men reportedly screamed hysterically at his wife to show them where the family safe was, before taking a collection of rare watches and the former Arsenal player's MBE Award.
In a short statement outside his home, he said: "All I want to say really is me and my missus, my girls, everyone's safe. The police are trying to get on with what they are doing."
Police have revealed that the suspects are described as black, aged between 18 and 25, with London accents, wearing dark clothing and hoodies obscuring their faces.
No arrests have been made.
Ian Wright added: "What's really disappointing is they're from an age group I've worked with and tried to help."