George Baldock: Greek star’s elegant gesture to tragic footballer, captured live on TV after shock victory over England

By Kostas Lianos, digital sports reporter

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

A giant void was left behind at right-back, many talented players tried to step up – and none of them managed to fill those big boots.

But soon, I started hearing rumors about a Premier League ace with Greek heritage who is starting week after week…

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

And what a season he was having. The right-back starred for Sheffield United as they stunned the Prem in the 2019-20 campaign – their first in 12 years – by finishing in the top half of the table.

Baldock was one of the standout players as he recorded an impressive 3,420 minutes played – the most alongside the likes of Declan Rice and Virgil van Dijk.

The defender was eager 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 Greek Football Federation (EPO) officials.

However, long and arduous bureaucratic work got in the way – with the then Sheffield United star claiming Covid-19 and Brexit slowed things down.

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

It didn’t take long for the English playmaker to dominate the right flank in defense and impressive performances followed.

Perhaps nothing compares to the Euro 2024 qualifying game against France in June 2023, when Baldock did the unthinkable and kept Kylian Mbappe quiet for 104 MINUTESdespite being injured and playing with “unimaginable” pain.

I still remember talking to Greece’s then manager 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 the best player in the world for his country.

A beaming Poyet told me: “Against the Republic of Ireland (three days earlier) – and now that it’s over, I can say it – in the 20th minute he suffered a very bad ankle sprain, very serious. He was very close to leaving . I asked him: ‘Can you make it until halftime?’

“At half-time his ankle was very, very swollen. He asked for a bandage and asked me for five minutes. Give me five minutes and we’ll let you know. And he had an unbelievable second half, running up and down and being excellent.

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

“Ninety percent of people will think, no way. And I continue talking to him, individually.

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

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

The Greek ace began his career with MK Dons in 2009, where he racked up an impressive 125 appearances over an eight-year period that also saw him play on loan at Northampton Town, Tamworth, IBV and Oxford United.

The defender joined Sheffield United in 2017 and made 219 appearances in seven years, which also helped his team win two Premier League promotions.

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 great source 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 I will fight for every success”

Baldock has never played for England at any level but he has always competed like a lion and he proved that on Sunday in his last match when he started for Panathinaikos, who he joined in the summer, against eternal rivals Olympiacos in what is perhaps the derby more intense. in Europe.

He served his team with honor by helping them earn 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, a few days before.

He played just 12 games for Greece before his sudden and tragic death, aged 31, on Wednesday in Athens.

But his fighting spirit and charisma as a right-back with the blue and whites, as well as his remarkable campaign in the Premier League and Championship, show that he is leaving a legacy that many Greek and English fans can follow.