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IAN WRIGHT and Roy Keane paid an affectional tribute to George Baldock unrecorded connected ITV up of England's lucifer against Greece.
Former Sheffield United prima Baldock was tragically recovered dead aged 31 successful his swimming excavation astatine his location successful Glyfada, Athens yesterday.
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Buckingham-born Baldock qualified to play for Greece via his grandma, and earned 12 caps for them aft debuting successful 2022.
Ahead of tonight's crippled betwixt England and Greece astatine Wembley, Wright and Keane had words of respect for the precocious erstwhile full-back.
Wright, 60, worked with Baldock portion moving arsenic a archetypal squad manager astatine MK Dons nether Karl Robinson.
On Baldock's tragic death, Wright said: "Terrible news, shocking news. In this clip you cannot assistance but deliberation astir his friends and family, household obviously.
"It was devastating news. I spoke to Karl Robinson past night, helium was devastated himself."
Asked what benignant of quality Baldock was, Wright said: "Hard working, determined.
"Obviously similar you mentioned it was down astatine MK Dons and helium was idiosyncratic you ever thought, the mode helium applied himself, helium was astir apt going to spell to wherever helium wanted to get to, the Premier League.
"And helium did. Like I say, I'm precise atrocious and each my condolences spell to his family."
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Baldock played for Sheffield United for 7 years earlier joining Greek broadside Panathinaikos successful the summer.
He featured for the Athens broadside against Olympiakos connected Sunday.
George Baldock cops probe if ANOTHER idiosyncratic was progressive successful star’s decease aft uncovering excavation clues
On however hard it would beryllium for England and Greece stars that knew Baldock, Keane added: "It volition be. It'll beryllium a large daze to the players of course.
"I retrieve watching a batch of him astatine Sheffield United, precise tenacious, played with immense vigor and was ever up for a battle.
"But the players volition person to react, they're professional. And they'll person to spell retired and effort to enactment connected a bully show for him."
George Baldock vocation stats
George Baldock has tragically died aged 31
2009-2017 - MK Dons 125 games (2 goals)
2011 - Tamworth (loan) 3 (0)
2012 - IBV (loan) 18 (1)
2012 - Tamworth (loan) 15 (1)
2015-16 - Oxford United (loan) 47 (3)
2017-2024 - Sheffield United 219 (6)
2024 - Panathinaikos 4 (0)
Ahead of the game, players and fans took portion successful a minute's silence astatine Wembley.
A petition from Greece for some teams to deterioration achromatic armbands successful Baldock's honour was granted by Uefa.
The erstwhile Blades prima had played for Greece arsenic precocious arsenic March.
According to Greek media, Baldock was recovered by the proprietor of his spot aft his wife, inactive based successful England, had raised an alarm having being incapable to interaction him.
He was aboriginal recovered dead, with an archetypal autopsy confirming helium had drowned.
Several salient figures wrong shot person paid tribute to Baldock, including Harry Maguire and Dele Alli, arsenic good arsenic his erstwhile clubs.
'HEARTBROKEN'
His household besides released a statement, which read: "We are heartbroken with the abrupt passing of our beloved George.
"You were the astir peculiar father, fiance, son, brother, uncle, friend, teammate and person.
"Your enthusiasm and infectious property brought truthful overmuch emotion to those that were fortunate capable to cognize you and those that adored you from the stands.
"We volition everlastingly cherish the peculiar memories we person of you and you volition proceed to unrecorded connected successful your beauteous son.
"You were owed to alert location contiguous for america to observe his archetypal day together, but alternatively we mourn your loss."
Dominating Mbappe, Premier League Iron Man, promotion hero: A tribute to George Baldock
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.
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