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, began his career at MK Dons and played in England’s top five divisions. He also spent time playing on loan for Icelandic side IBV.
His death was initially reported by Greek media, including sport24 and SDNA.
Baldock’s wife reportedly tried to contact him and, after several hours with no response, contacted the owner of the villa where he lived in Glyfada, a southern suburb of Athens.
Former Sheffield United defender George Baldock reportedly died aged 31 in Greece
The footballer moved to Greek club Panathinaikos in the summer and was found dead in their 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 emergency services.
A doctor as part of the response unit verified that Baldock had died.
Footage seen by the response unit reportedly suggested he had died several hours before he was found. The exact cause of his death will be determined through a post-mortem examination.
England defender Harry Maguire was one of the first to leave tributes on Wednesday night, posting a photo of Baldock and writing “RIP” with a broken heart icon. Maguire had played for Sheffield United before Baldock.
Baldock was long a mainstay of English football, racking up 219 appearances for Sheffield United alone.
He twice achieved promotion to the Premier League with the Yorkshire team.
At Bramall Lane he earned the nickname ‘Furious George’ due to his combative and aggressive style on the field.
“Since I arrived at this club, I quickly realized that the tougher the rival was, the more you had to find a way to get an advantage over the opponent,” he once said at Sheffield Star.
‘To be honest, I really enjoy it. Plus, I love winning. I hate losing and I even hate drawing.
Baldock, 31, was starting a new life in Greece with his wife before he died.
The defender acquired the nickname ‘Furious George’ for his aggressive style
After his wife failed to contact him, the villa owner searched the property and found him in the pool.
Even when we play pool in the recreation area during training, that competitive streak comes to light.
“The only problem is that when it comes to putting balls in 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 been mainly limited to domestic football.
More to follow.
