England, Greece and fans at Wembley have paid an emotional tribute to George Baldock after .
The former Sheffield United star was found dead in the swimming pool at his villa in Athens on Wednesday. A post-mortem found that he drowned, with around his death.
Baldock had earned 12 caps for during his career and had moved to Panathinaikos in the summer transfer window. While not called up for October's international break, he was close with many members of the Greek national team.
As a result, ahead of and during Thursday's Nations League clash between Greece and England. The Three Lions hosted the game at Wembley.
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Before kick-off, a minute's silence was held in memory of the 31-year-old. Both sets of players and coaching staff also wore black armbands during the match.
Meanwhile, fans of his former club Sheffield United laid flowers and shirts bearing Baldock's name outside of the Blades' Bramall Lane stadium. Baldock began his career at MK Dons before spells at Northampton Town, Tamworth and Oxford United.
He then joined Sheffield United ahead of his move to the Greek capital in the summer. He missed Panathinaikos’ first three games of the new campaign through injury but played 75 minutes in their most recent league outing against Olympiacos on Saturday.
Though born in Buckinghamshire, the full-back qualified to represent Greece through his grandmother. His last appearance came in the Euro 2024 play-offs against Georgia in March, with his team-mates from the national team left devastated by his death.
A statement from them read: "It is impossible to believe that our dear friend and teammate, George, is no longer with us. Our pain is indescribable. Tonight we will try to reach the power of his soul, which is a bright example for us all. Our thoughts are with his family."
Baldock was found by the owner of the villa he was staying in after his wife became concerned about his safety. Emergency services pulled him out of the water but were unable to resuscitate him.
The news has shocked the football and has left his family understandably devastated. They confirmed the news in a statement on Wednesday evening in which they asked for privacy.
Their statement read: "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".
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