Former Sheffield United defender George Baldock was reportedly found dead in his swimming pool in Greece on Wednesday.
The 31-year-old joined Panathinaikos in the summer after spending seven seasons with the Blades in the Premier League and Championship.
Baldock, who was capped 12 times by Greece due to having a Greek grandfather, started his career at MK Dons and played in all of England’s top five divisions. He also spent time playing on loan at IBV in Iceland.
His death was initially reported by Greek outlets including Sport24 and SDNA.
Baldock’s wife reportedly tried to contact him and after several hours without a response, got in touch with the owner of the villa in which he lived in Glyfada, a suburb south of Athens.
Former Sheffield United defender George Baldock has reportedly died aged 31 in Greece
The footballer moved to Greek club Panathinaikos in the summer and was found dead in his swimming pool on Wednesday night
Baldock was a mainstay of English football before leaving and also played 12 times for Greece
After searching the suburban property, they found Baldock in the pool and called the emergency services.
A doctor as part of the response unit verified that Baldock had passed away.
Images seen by the response unit reportedly suggested that he had passed away several hours prior to being found. His exact cause of death will be determiend by a post-mortem examination.
England defender Harry Maguire was among the first to leave tributes on Wednesday evening, posting a picture of Baldock and writing ‘RIP’ with a broken heart icon. Maguire had played at Sheffield United prior to Baldock.
Baldock was long a mainstay of English football, amassing 219 appearances at Sheffield United alone.
He twice won promotion to the Premier League with the Yorkshire outfit.
At Bramall Lane he earned the nickname ‘Furious George’ due to his combative, aggressive style on the pitch.
‘Since I came to this club, I quickly realised that the tougher the opposition, the more you had to find a way to get an edge over your opponent,’ he once told the Sheffield Star.
‘To be honest, I really enjoy it. Plus, I just love winning. I hate losing and I even hate drawing.
Baldock, 31, was starting a new life in Greece with his wife before he passed away
The defender acquired the nickname ‘Furious George’ due to his aggressive style
After his wife was unable to contact him, the owner of the villa searched the property and found him in the pool
Even when we’re playing pool in the rec area at training, that competitive streak comes out.
‘The only trouble is, when it comes to potting balls instead of kicking them, I’m not particularly good at it.’
Baldock had only made four appearances for Panathinaikos, including one in the Europa League – a new adventure for a player whose experiences had mostly been confined to domestic football.
More to follow.
