Former Sheffield United star George Baldock has been found dead in a swimming pool at his home in Greece at the age of just 31.
The former Premier League defender, who was playing for Greek club Panathinaikos in Athens after moving from the Blades this summer, was discovered after his wife back home in England had been unable to get hold of him for several hours, local newspapers report.
The owner of his luxury property was reportedly contacted and apparently found him unresponsive in the pool. The emergency services were called and arrived in nine minutes, but he could not be revived.
The cause of death remains unknown today. Police tried cardiopulmonary resuscitation on the 31-year-old former Premier League player but could not revive him and medical emergency units confirmed his death at the scene, one official told Reuters.
His family have said they are in total ‘shock’ over his death. Despite being born in Buckinghamshire, he played for Greece 12 times after qualifying to represent the country through his grandmother.
‘We can confirm that George has sadly passed away. As a family we are in shock at this terrible loss. We ask please that the media respect our privacy at this time’, his family said in a statement late last night.
George would have likely played for his country at Wembley against England tonight but was currently injured. Greece have asked UEFA for permission for both teams to wear black armbands for the Nations League fixture at 7.45pm.
Mr Baldock was nicknamed ‘Furious George’ by Sheffield United fans who loved his uncompromising style and win at all costs attitude.
Former teammates and friends including Harry Maguire have led tributes to the footballer – with the former Manchester United captain simply posting ‘RIP’, alongside a broken heart emoji.
Baldock joined Panathinaikos in the summer after spending seven celebrated seasons with the Blades, where he was dubbed ‘Furious George’, in the Premier League and Championship.
He started his career at MK Dons and playing in all of England’s top five divisions.
He missed out on Greece’s most recent squad, which is due to play England in the Nations League at Wembley on Thursday, after suffering an injury which ruled him out of games in September.
Baldock’s wife reportedly tried to contact him for several hours without a response, before she got in touch with the owner of his villa in Glyfada, a suburb south of Athens.
After searching the suburban property, they found Baldock in the communal pool and called the emergency services.
He was reportedly in the water for several hours before he was found, according to images seen by the response unit.
A heartbroken Sheffield United paid tribute to their former player as they announced the news to their fans.
‘Sheffield United Football Club is shocked and extremely saddened to learn of the passing of former player, George Baldock,’ they posted on X.
‘The defender left the club in the summer after seven years at Bramall Lane and was extremely popular with supporters, staff and team-mates who pulled on a red and white shirt alongside him.
‘The sincere condolences of everyone associated with Sheffield United are extended to George’s family and friends.’
Northampton Town, where he played five games on loan, wrote on X: ‘We are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of former loanee George Baldock at the tragically young age of 31.
‘Sending our sincerest condolences to George’s family and friends.’
Panathinaikos appears to have blacked out their logo on their social media in a subtle tribute.
And his boyhood club, MK Dons, said they were ‘devastated’ to hear the news, in an emotional post as they said he ‘will always be one of our own’.
They said: ‘We are deeply devastated and saddened to learn about the shocking news of former Academy graduate and MK Dons player, George Baldock.
‘George started his career at Stadium MK, where he worked his way through the youth ranks and made his senior career debut at the Club before reaching the heights of the Premier League in later years.
‘Everyone affiliated with MK Dons shares a great love for George, Sam and the Baldock family, and we would like to share our sincerest condolences during these awful times.
‘You will always be one of our own, George.’
Also responding to the news, England football’s official account said they were ‘extremely saddened’.
They continued: ‘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.’
The English Football League added that he made a ‘lasting impact’, with his time at Sheffield United, Oxford United, Northampton Town and MK Dons.
The Greece Super League further shared their ‘deepest condolences’ following the news.
They said: ‘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.’
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.
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.