George Baldock: Panathinaikos postpone Cup match for former star’s funeral after tragic death aged 31

By Kostas Lianos, Digital Sports Reporter

IT was backmost successful 2019 erstwhile Greece fable Vasilis Torosidis - the heir to Euro 2004 leader Giourkas Seitaridis - retired from planetary work aft 101 caps.

A elephantine void was near down astatine right-back, galore talented players tried to measurement up - and nary of them could capable those large boots.

But, soon enough, I started to perceive whispers astir a Premier League ace with Greek practice who's a starter week-in and week-out…

That was nary different than George Baldock, calved successful Buckingham connected March 9, 1993, to English parents but qualified for Greece done his grandmother.

And what a play helium was having. The right-back starred for Sheffield United arsenic they amazed the Prem successful the 2019-20 run - their archetypal successful 12 years - by finishing successful the apical fractional of the table.

Baldock was among their standout players arsenic helium registered a staggering 3,420 minutes played - the associated highest on with the likes of Declan Rice and Virgil van Dijk.

The defender was keen to marque the large measurement to the planetary signifier with his grandmother's homeland - and it didn't instrumentality agelong until helium shook hands with the Greek shot federation (EPO) chiefs.

However, a agelong and arduous paperwork slog stood successful the mode - with the past Sheffield United prima claiming Covid-19 and Brexit slowed things down.

Greece yet got the right-back they were begging for for years arsenic Baldock made his debut connected June 2, 2022 successful a Nations League clash astatine Northern Ireland arsenic a precocious substitute.

It didn't instrumentality agelong until the English-born ace owned the close flank astatine the backmost and awesome performances followed.

Perhaps nary comparison to the Euro 2024 qualifier against France successful June 2023 erstwhile Baldock did the unthinkable and kept Kylian Mbappe quiescent for 104 MINUTES, contempt being injured and playing done "unimaginable" pain.

I inactive retrieve speaking to then-Greece manager Gus Poyet astir his player's stunning performance, and I volition ne'er hide the large grin the Chelsea fable had connected his face.

Poyet reminded maine of a arrogant begetter arsenic helium took maine done the wounded hellhole the full-back endured earlier squaring up against possibly the world's champion subordinate for his country.

A beaming Poyet told me: "Against the Republic of Ireland [three days beforehand] – and present that it is finished I tin accidental it - aft 20 minutes helium had a precise atrocious twist successful his ankle, precise bad. He was precise adjacent to travel out. I asked him, 'Can you clasp until half-time?'

"At half-time his ankle was very, precise swollen. He asked for a strapping and helium asked maine for 5 minutes. Give maine 5 minutes and we'll fto you know. And helium had an unbelievable 2nd fractional moving up and down and being outstanding.

"You don’t ideate the ankle aft the game. You don't ideate the ankle the time after, aft the formation to France. Black and bluish – swollen. And a day-and-a-half aboriginal you request to play against Mbappe.

"Ninety per cent of radical volition think, nary chance. And I support talking to him, individually. And helium keeps saying to me, 'Coach I’m gonna beryllium determination nary worries'.

"And helium didn't play 20 minutes, helium didn't play 60 minutes, helium played 104 minutes due to the fact that the referee gave 14 minutes of wounded clip against Mbappe."

It's casual to recognize however loyal Baldock was to each squad helium ever played for during his 15-year career, conscionable by looking astatine his stats.

The Greek ace started his vocation astatine MK Dons successful 2009 wherever helium amassed a staggering 125 appearances passim an eight-year stint that besides saw him playing connected indebtedness for Northampton Town, Tamworth, IBV and Oxford United.

The defender joined Sheffield United successful 2017 and registered a whopping 219 appearances successful 7 years that besides saw him helping his squad execute 2 Premier League promotions.

Baldock's enactment ethic and committedness was nary antithetic successful Greece arsenic helium proudly stated 2 years ago: "To play for the nationalist broadside is simply a large honour and a batch of pridefulness progressive for maine and my family.

"Representing my state done my precocious grandmother, it's a precise arrogant infinitesimal for maine and my family. I emotion the state and I volition combat for each success"

Baldock ne'er played for England astatine immoderate level, but helium ever competed similar a lion and helium proved it connected Sunday successful his past ever lucifer erstwhile helium started for Panathinaikos, whom helium joined successful the summer, against eternal rivals Olympiacos successful possibly the astir aggravated derby successful Europe.

He served his squad with honour arsenic helium helped them prime up a invaluable constituent successful a goalless gully against their in-form foes, who had conscionable played their champion crippled of the play with a 3-0 triumph implicit Braga successful the Europa League a fewer days earlier.

He lone managed 12 caps for Greece earlier his abrupt and tragic decease astatine the property of 31 connected Wednesday successful Athens.

But his warring tone and charisma astatine right-back with the achromatic and blue, arsenic good arsenic his singular tally successful the Premier League and the Championship, amusement that helium is leaving a bequest down for galore Greek and English fans to look up to.