George Baldock had built up £2.1m property empire by the time of his tragic swimming pool death at the age of 31

Tragic George Baldock had a property empire worth £2m to his name at the time of his untimely death.

The canny ex-Sheffield United star had ploughed his football riches into bricks and mortar.

He set up GHIB Investment Properties Ltd in 2018 with the latest accounts filed on the Companies House website in the summer revealing his investments to be worth £2.1m.

A note on the annual books said: ‘Investment property comprises a number of properties held for rental purposes.’

The homes were purchased with the help of £1.1m of bank loans, while the portfolio contains half a dozen homes in the Greater Manchester area.

Baldock’s fiancée Annabel Dignam  also revealed the 31-year-old had been due to fly back to Britain on Thursday to celebrate his birthday with the family at their home in Sheffield

She said her world would never be the same without him, as she said he was a ‘perfect Dad’

Baldock waves farewell to the fans ahead of the Premier League match between Sheffield United and Tottenham Hotspur at Bramall Lane – holding his young son Brody

At the time of his death the Premier League footballer, had just moved to Athens from Sheffield United to join Panathinaikos on a lucrative deal that would have seen him play for an estimated £1million-a-year until approaching his 35th birthday. 

Harry was pictured smiling with his friend and client signing his three-year Panathinaikos deal on May 29. 

He started his career at MK Dons and playing in all of England’s top five divisions. 

The full back also played for Northampton Town, Tamworth and Oxford United like his older brother Sam, who also played in the Premier League with Brighton, where he is now a youth coach.

The right back was best known for his time at Sheffield United, where he was nicknamed ‘Furious George’ by fans who loved his uncompromising style and win at all costs attitude.

Blades supporters also called him ‘Starman’ – and sung his name to the tune of the song by David Bowie about him ‘running down the right’ and being ‘f***ing dynamite’.

George was found dead on Wednesday night after his fiancé raised the alarm because he didn’t answer his mobile phone.

He had reportedly been dead for at least five hours when his landlord found him unresponsive in the pool of his villa.

Despite being born in the Home Counties, George had qualified to play for Greece through his grandmother. 

He would have collected his 13th cap this week against England at Wembley tonight if he had not been injured in August. 

George Baldock trained on the day he died and his teammates and team staff gathered outside the villa where he was found dead yesterday

Annabel Dignam, who is mother to the couple’s year old son boy, has been heartbroken by the death of her soulmate

George with his childhood friend Dele Alli, left on holiday in Greece and right as young footballers in 2013

The scene in a suburb of Athens where former Sheffield United defender George Baldock was found dead in his swimming pool in Athens, Greece

George was living in this property in the Greek capital after a move to club giant Panathinaikos

And his teammates held his shirt aloft in their historic victory over the Three Lions – the first in their history.

George would have loved that moment. He had been learning Greek and was fondly renamed ‘Georgios Baldockimos’ by supporters.

Off the pitch he had also found love with his partner Annabel Dignam, who is mother to the couple’s year old son Brody.

Brody, his first child, was who he hugged tightly as he said farewell to Sheffield United fans on the Bramall Lane pitch in May. 

The proud dad was due to fly from Athens back to the UK to celebrate his beloved little boy’s birthday this week.

Yesterday his fiancée paid tribute to ‘the love of my life’ following his death this week aged 31.

Annabel Dignam wrote in tribute on social media: ‘George, the love of my life, my soulmate.

‘The perfect Dad to our beautiful boy. You completed me. You were my world and I know we were yours. 

‘You are here with me in Brody’s smile, giggle and infectious personality. My world will never be the same but I will find a way for Brody. 

‘I promise. I love you forever and always G. Your Neen. X’.

Defender George, a Greek international who had been playing for Panathinaikos since the summer, was found dead in a pool at his home in the southern Athens suburb of Glyfada on Wednesday, with his family confirming in a statement that he had tragically drowned while swimming. 

Emergency services outside the house of British-born Panathinaikos and Greece defender George Baldock, where he was found dead, in the exclusive suburb of Glyfada

Police will be looking at the CCTV from the property to confirm he was alone

Athens broadsheet Kathimerini has said that officers in the Greek capital believe that he was home alone when he died. Detectives reportedly do not believe his death is suspicious.

But CCTV from the entrance of the house is being examined to ensure nobody arrived or left the property in the hours before or after his death, the newspaper said. 

State broadcaster ERT said the home also showed no evidence of forced entry.

His spouse had been unable to get hold of him on Wednesday so contacted his landlord who found him unresponsive in the swimming pool last night.

A police source has claimed he was dead for at least five hours before he was found on Wednesday night. 

MailOnline has asked Greece’s Hellenic Police to comment.

The luxury five-storey property where he died is in the exclusive southern coastal suburb of Glyfada, home to many of Greece’s most famous politicians, singers and footballers including some of George’s Panathinaikos teammates, some of whom gathered outside the property last night.

The owner of his luxury property apparently found him unresponsive in the pool. The emergency services were called and arrived in nine minutes, but he could not be revived.

The cause of death remains unknown today. Police tried cardiopulmonary resuscitation on the 31-year-old former Premier League player but could not revive him and medical emergency units confirmed his death at the scene, one official told Reuters.

His family have said they are in total ‘shock’ over his death. Despite being born in Buckinghamshire, he played for Greece 12 times.

‘We can confirm that George has sadly passed away. As a family we are in shock at this terrible loss. We ask please that the media respect our privacy at this time’, his family said in a statement late last night.

The defender acquired the nickname ‘Furious George’ due to his aggressive style

Baldock featured 12 times for Greece after qualifying to play through through his grandmother

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

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

England defender Harry Maguire was among the first to react, writing ‘RIP’ on Instagram 

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

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 to learn of 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 extremely popular with supporters, staff and team-mates who pulled on a red and white shirt alongside him.

‘The sincere condolences of everyone associated with Sheffield United are extended to George’s family and friends.’

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

‘Sending our sincerest condolences to George’s family and friends.’

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

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

They said: ‘We are deeply devastated and saddened to learn about the shocking news of 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 at the Club before reaching the heights of the Premier League in later years.

‘Everyone affiliated with MK Dons shares a great love for George, Sam and the Baldock family, and we would like to share our sincerest condolences during these awful times.

‘You will always be one of our own, George.’

Also responding to the news, England football’s official account said they were ‘extremely saddened’.

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 to learn of the passing of former loanee George Baldock at the tragically young age of 31’

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

England football’s official account said they were ‘extremely saddened’ after hearing the news

They continued: ‘We’re extremely saddened by the passing of George Baldock.

‘George was close to many of our players, and represented Greece – our opponents on Thursday night. We’re thinking of George’s family, friends and team-mates at club and country at this difficult time.’

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

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

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