George Baldock was found dead after his wife raised the alarm in England and the family were left “shocked at the terrible loss”.

By Kostas Lianos, digital sports reporter

It was in 2019 when Greek legend Vasilis Torosidis – the heir to Euro 2004 hero Giourkas Seitaridis – retired from international duty after 101 caps.

There was a huge gap on the right side of defense, many talented players tried to step up – and none of them could fill these big shoes.

But soon I started hearing rumors about a Premier League star with Greek roots starting week after week…

This was none other than George Baldock, who was born in Buckingham on March 9, 1993 to English parents, but qualified for Greece through his grandmother.

And what a season he had. The right-back played for Sheffield United when they surprised the Prem in the 2019-20 season – their first in 12 years – by finishing in the top half of the table.

Baldock was one of their standout players as he logged an incredible 3,420 minutes played – the highest total playing time alongside the likes of Declan Rice and Virgil van Dijk.

The defender wanted to take the big step onto the international stage with his grandmother’s homeland – and it wasn’t long before he was shaking hands with the heads of the Greek Football Association (EPO).

But long and arduous paperwork got in the way – the then Sheffield United star claimed Covid-19 and Brexit had slowed things down.

Greece finally got the right-back they had been begging for for years when Baldock made his debut as a late substitute in a Nations League clash in Northern Ireland on June 2, 2022.

It didn’t take long until the English native dominated the right side of defense and showed impressive performances.

Perhaps nothing compares to the Euro 2024 qualifier against France in June 2023, when Baldock did the unthinkable and kept Kylian Mbappe quiet for a long time 104 MINUTESdespite being injured and suffering “unimaginable” pain.

I still remember speaking to then Greek coach Gus Poyet about his player’s impressive performance and I will never forget the big smile the Chelsea legend had on his face.

Poyet reminded me of a proud father as he walked me through the injury hell the full-back suffered before facing perhaps his country’s best player in the world.

A beaming Poyet said to me: “Against the Republic of Ireland.” [three days beforehand] – and now that it’s finished I can say – after 20 minutes he had a very bad twist in his ankle, very bad. He was about to come out. I asked him, “Can you last until halftime?”

“At halftime his ankle was very, very swollen. He asked for a strap-on and he asked me for five minutes. Give me five minutes and we’ll let you know. And he had an incredible second half, running up and down and being outstanding.

“You can’t imagine the ankle after the game. You can’t imagine the ankle the day after, after the flight to France. Black and blue – swollen. And a day and a half later you have to play against it.” Mbappé.

“Ninety percent of people will think: No chance. And I keep talking to him individually. And he keeps telling me: ‘Coach, I’ll be there, don’t worry’.”

“And he didn’t play 20 minutes, he didn’t play 60 minutes, he played 104 minutes because the referee gave 14 minutes of stoppage time against Mbappe.”

It’s easy to understand how loyal Baldock was to every team he played for in his 15-year career just by looking at his stats.

The Greek star began his career at MK Dons in 2009, where he made an incredible 125 appearances over eight years and also played on loan for Northampton Town, Tamworth, IBV and Oxford United.

The defender joined Sheffield United in 2017 and made a whopping 219 appearances in seven years, during which he also helped his team to two promotions to the Premier League.

Baldock’s work ethic and commitment were no different in Greece, as he proudly stated two years ago: “Playing for the national team is a great honor and a lot of pride for me and my family.”

“Representing my country through my late grandmother is a very proud moment for me and my family. I love the country and will fight for every success.”

Baldock never played for England at any level, but he always fought like a lion, and he proved that on Sunday in his last game ever, playing for Panathinaikos, who he joined in the summer, in perhaps the most intense derby ever Rivals Olympiacos were in the starting lineup in Europe.

He served his team honorably as he helped them pick up a valuable point in a goalless draw against their in-form opponents, who had just played their best game of the season with a 3-0 win over Braga in the Europa League days earlier .

Until his sudden and tragic death on Wednesday in Athens at the age of 31, he only played twelve international matches for Greece.

But his fighting spirit and charisma as a right-back for the White and Blue, as well as his remarkable performances in the Premier League and the Championship, show that he leaves a legacy that many Greek and English fans can look up to.