Greece captain's emotional George Baldock speech before famous England win

Greece was motivated by a tendency to honour George Baldock aft his abrupt decease arsenic skipper Tassos Bakaseta rallied his players pre-match successful the dressing country earlier their win

Greece skipper Tassos Bakaseta told his team-mates to "sacrifice themselves to honour George Baldock" successful a rousing pre-match speech.

England were undone by the Greeks, who secured their archetypal ever triumph implicit the Three Lions arsenic Vangelis Pavlidis struck doubly successful the second-half. The visitors were further motivated by a tendency to wage tribute to Baldock, who died connected Wednesday night.

The ex-Sheffield United defender moved to Panathinaikos successful the summertime and was recovered dead successful the swimming excavation of his villa successful Athens. There was a minutes soundlessness held astatine Wembley with some sets of players wearing achromatic armband to honour Baldock.

The 31-year-old had won 12 caps for Greece with respective of his erstwhile team-mates dealing with the daze quality arsenic they prepared to instrumentality connected England. The visitors were immense underdogs but produced a daze aft Bakaseta had rallied his troops earlier the match.

He said successful the dressing room: "We cognize precise good what a squad we are and what we person achieved to get here. We person thing to fearfulness from anyone and we are going to amusement it from the archetypal minute. We cognize the peculiarity of the game, galore of america cognize what George means.

"George has ever been an illustration for the team, giving his soul, putting the squad supra each and adjacent sacrificing his carnal integrity. Today successful the crippled volition beryllium our example. Each of america volition sacrifice ourselves to honour him arsenic helium deserves. Let's each beryllium ready."

Baldock's spouse sounded the alarm connected Wednesday erstwhile she was incapable to interaction him for respective hours. Emergency services went implicit and recovered the footballer. A post-mortem has confirmed that helium drowned but further investigations are ongoing.

Thursday night's lucifer winner, Pavlidis, underlined however Greece were determined to wage tribute to their erstwhile team-mate. He said: "It was a truly peculiar crippled for america due to the fact that of George and of people we gave everything for him and for his family. We conscionable said that we person to play for him. It doesn't substance the people today, we privation to play for him and we springiness everything for him."

Greece manager Ivan Jovanovic added: "The full squad and everyone present has gone done a precise hard 24 hours. It [Baldock's death] is thing that shouldn't happen. In times similar this, shot comes second. He was with america successful the dressing country successful spirit. He near his people connected the squad and that was disposable successful the mode the squad played today."

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