Former Sheffield United player George Baldock found dead, aged 31

Former Sheffield United full-back George Baldock has passed away aged 31, Super League Greece have announced.

Baldock had moved from Bramall Lane to Panathinaikos in the summer and had played in their goalless draw against Olympiacos three days ago, his fourth appearance for the club.

“The entire Super League football family expresses its deep sorrow for the untimely loss of Panathinaikos and our national team footballer, George Baldock, and extends its deepest condolences to his family and loved ones,” read a statement from Super League Greece.

According to local reports, Baldock was found in the swimming pool at the house he moved into after his move to the Athens club.

News quickly filtered through to former team-mates in England. Harry Maguire, who also played for Sheffield United, posted a picture of Baldock on Instagram with an emoji of a broken heart and the words “RIP”.

There is likely to be a tribute at Wembley on Thursday when England face Greece, who Baldock made 12 appearances for.

Baldock revealed in an interview with the Daily Telegraph in 2020 that he was eligible for Greece through his grandparents and was targeting an international call-up. Two years later he was given his debut for the country in a victory against Northern Ireland, and last played for them in March when they missed out on a place in the European Championship.

He was part of the Sheffield United team that won promotion to the Premier League, with Chris Wilder making him a regular at right-back in his top-flight team. After sticking with them in the Championship after relegation, he helped them return last season and played 13 times before his move to Panathinaikos in the summer.

Born in Buckingham, he got 10 GCSE As and had one eye on becoming a teacher like his mother before he focused on football, starting out at MK Dons and eventually moving to Sheffield United.

Baldock was from a sporting family, with his brother Sam also a professional footballer, with Bristol City, Brighton and Reading. George also played cricket for Buckinghamshire as a youngster but chose football over becoming an all-rounder.

The England national team’s X account posted a statement saying: “We’re extremely saddened by the passing of George Baldock. George was close to many of our players, and represented Greece – our opponents on Thursday night. We’re thinking of George’s family, friends and team-mates at club and country at this difficult time.”

A PFA statement read: “Everyone at the PFA is deeply saddened by the passing of George Baldock. The immediate reactions to George’s death, at such a tragically young age, reflect how loved and respected he was by team-mates, fans and so many across the game. Our thoughts are with George’s family and his many friends, within football and beyond.”