It’s easy to be a good player when you play football well and win, but as professionals we judge people when things are difficult. George Baldock, whose passing we are all devastated, was a man who stood up when things were difficult.
That’s what I keep in mind with George. He would be one of the first people I would take with me if I went to war. That says something about him and his character.
I can also speak for Macca (James McAtee) on this. We loved him when we went on loan to Sheffield United in 2022. He helped us a lot. Amazing.
He’s the kind of person you dream of being there in the locker room to help you. With Macca and I he saw two young lads who were committed to helping the team and knew exactly how to get the best out of us. It made you feel very good about yourself. That’s what you need as a footballer. A top boy.
George was at Bramall Lane for seven years. It is a long time to be in a club and you can see now with the heartfelt tributes what the people who have been there around him think of him. You can see the messages of how loved he was. Many people adored him, simply because of how he was. It will be a great loss for us.
Former Sheffield United defender George Baldock has died aged 31 in Greece
A heartbroken Sheffield United paid tribute to their former player on social media on Thursday.
Tommy Doyle, right, played for Baldock in Sheffield United’s promotion season in 2022-23.
Doyle believes the Blades would not have been automatically promoted without Baldock’s attitude
That year I spent with him, I really believe that without George we wouldn’t have automatically been promoted to the Premier League.
He was a big part of it, the way he moved around the place. That’s what he was: a man so infectious to everyone.
Most of that is attitude. Like I said before, when things get tough. We had some periods where we didn’t get the best results. He was very calm, telling us all to listen and that it was still early, telling us to relax. It worked like a charm.
But while he was saying that, he would boost standards on the training ground. There wouldn’t be a day where I didn’t give 100 percent. I admire people who are like that and I carry it with me every day. He was one of those people who dragged others down with everything he did.
This incredible character in the locker room, someone who had so much commitment, passion and desire for the game, drives his team to succeed.
Baldock’s love for the club was demonstrated in his celebrations after arriving at Wembley in the FA Cup.
The heartfelt tributes show how much Baldock was loved after seven years at Sheffield United.
I think back to a couple of goals I scored: Sunderland at the Stadium of Light and against Blackburn Rovers in the FA Cup quarter-finals, which took us to Wembley. You could see how much that meant to him because he loved the club. They are precious memories.
An incredible personality. He knew when to be serious, he knew when to laugh and he just read the room very well. He is someone who helped a lot of guys progress and feel comfortable. And boy was he good: I’ve played with some of the best full-backs, but he’s up to the task.
There have been conversations with some of the lads over the last 24 hours but it’s hard to put into words. He was so young. He recently became a father and husband. My heart breaks for his family. Us guys aren’t feeling very well right now, but I can’t imagine what his family and his wife are going through. Jorge, we will miss you.