George Baldock dead at 31: Former Sheffield United defender found in the swimming pool of his home in Greece

Former Sheffield United star George Baldock has been found dead in a swimming pool at his home in Greece.

The 31-year-old defender was discovered after his wife in England could not get hold of him for hours, local newspapers report.

Fellow Premier League players including Harry Maguire have paid tribute to the tragic footballer, with the former Manchester United captain simply posting ‘RIP’ alongside a broken heart emoji.

Baldock joined Panathinaikos this summer after spending seven celebrated seasons with the Blades in the Premier League and Championship, where he was nicknamed ‘Furious George’.

Despite being born in Buckinghamshire, he played twelve times for Greece. He started his career with MK Dons and played in all of England’s top five divisions.

He missed Greece’s latest squad, which plays England in the Nations League at Wembley later this week, after suffering an injury that kept him out of matches in September.

Baldock’s wife reportedly tried to contact him for hours with no response, before contacting the owner of his villa in Glyfada, a suburb south of Athens.

Sheffield United’s George Baldock says goodbye to fans ahead of the Premier League match between Sheffield United and Tottenham Hotspur at Bramall Lane

Police guard the area outside the home of British-born Panathinaikos and Greek defender George Baldock, where he was found dead, in the Athens suburb of Glyfada

Former Sheffield United defender George Baldock has reportedly died in Greece aged 31

The footballer moved to Greek club Panathinaikos this summer and was found dead in his swimming pool on Wednesday evening

Baldock was a mainstay of English football before he left, also making 12 appearances for Greece

After searching the suburban property, they found Baldock in the communal swimming pool and called emergency services.

According to footage from the response unit, he was reportedly in the water for several hours before being found.

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 by 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 hugely popular with supporters, staff and teammates who donned a red and white shirt alongside him.

“The sincere condolences from everyone involved with Sheffield United go out to George’s family and friends.”

Northampton Town, where he played five games on loan, wrote on X: ‘We are deeply saddened by the passing of former loanee George Baldock at the tragically young age of 31.

A heartbroken Sheffield United paid tribute to their former player as they announced the news to their fans

Northampton Town, where he played five games on loan, wrote on X: ‘We are deeply saddened by the passing of former loanee George Baldock at the tragically young age of 31.

And his boyhood club, MK Dons, said they were ‘devastated’ when they heard the news, in an emotional post saying he ‘will always be one of our own’

Also reacting to the news, English Football’s official account said they were ‘extremely saddened’

England defender Harry Maguire was one of the first to respond, writing ‘RIP’ on Instagram

Police guard the area outside the home of British-born Panathinaikos and Greek defender George Baldock, where he was found dead, in the Athens suburb of Glyfada

“We send our sincere condolences to George’s family and friends.”

Panathinaikos appears to have blacked out their logo on their social media as a subtle tribute.

And his boyhood club, MK Dons, said they were ‘devastated’ when they heard the news, in an emotional post saying he will ‘always be one of our own’.

They said: ‘We are deeply devastated and saddened by the shocking news from 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 with the Club before reaching the heights of the Premier League in later years.

“Everyone associated with MK Dons shares a great love for George, Sam and the Baldock family, and we would like to share our sincere condolences at these terrible times.

“You’ll always be one of us, George.”

Reacting to the news, the official English Football Report said they were ‘extremely saddened’.

They continued: “We are deeply saddened by the passing of George Baldock.

Baldock, 31, started a new life in Greece before he passed away

The defender was nicknamed ‘Furious George’ because of his aggressive style

After his wife was unable to contact him, the villa owner searched the property and found him in the pool

Baldock played seven years in the Premier League and Championship with Sheffield United

“George was close to many of our players and represented Greece, our opponents, on Thursday evening. We are thinking of George’s family, friends and teammates at club and country at this difficult time.”

The English Football League added that he has made a ‘lasting impact’, with his time at Sheffield United, Oxford United, Northampton Town and MK Dons.

The Greek Super League further shared their ‘deepest condolences’ following the news.

They said: ‘The entire Super League football family expresses its deep sorrow at the untimely loss of Panathinaikos and our national footballer, George Baldock, and extends its deepest condolences to his family and loved ones.’

Baldock was a long-time mainstay of English football, making 219 appearances at Sheffield United alone.

He was promoted to the Premier League twice with the Yorkshire team.

At Bramall Lane he was nicknamed ‘Furious George’ due to his combative, aggressive style on the pitch.

“Since I joined this club, I quickly realized that the stronger the opposition, the more you had to find a way to gain an advantage over your opponent,” he once told the club. Sheffield star.

‘To be honest, I really like it. Besides, I just love winning. I hate losing and I even hate drawing.

Even when we play pool in the recreation room during practice, that competitive streak comes through.

“The only problem is that I’m not very good at pocketing balls instead of kicking them.”

Baldock had played just four games for Panathinaikos, including one in the Europa League – a new adventure for a player whose experiences had been largely limited to domestic football.

More to follow.