George Baldock: Sheffield United pays tribute to 'much-loved' player one year after 'tragic passing' - full statement
Sheffield United has paid tribute former player George Baldock - one year after his death.
Former Sheffield United star Baldock, who joined Greek club Panathinaikos, was found dead in his swimming pool at his home at the age of 31 on 9 October 2024. Concerns were raised when Baldock's wife was unable to contact him after several hours without a response.
He was later found in his swimming pool and pronounced dead by a doctor after emergency services were called to the scene. Panathinaikos blacked out their profile picture on X and Instagram in the wake of the tragic news, while his former club Sheffield United - where he spent seven years prior to his move to Greece - issued a statement expressing condolences to his family and friends.
Sheffield United has posted a tribute to the player today (Thursday 9 October), one year after his death. The tribute reads: “Today marks one year since the tragic passing of George Baldock.
“George was a much-loved figure from his time at Bramall Lane which saw the popular defender make 219 appearances over a seven-year period, which also included two promotions from the Championship and a finish of ninth in the Premier League. Chris Wilder was his manager for the majority of his time at Bramall Lane, and here the Blades boss shared some fond memories of a popular and hugely respected player and person.”
Baldock spent seven years at Bramall Lane, amassing over 200 appearances between 2017 and 2024. He secured promotion to the Premier League on two separate occasions and was a firm favourite among Sheffield United supporters.
His death was attributed to "drowning in water" following a post-mortem examination in Greece. It is believed that Baldock had passed away approximately five hours before he was found.
He died with no drugs or alcohol in his system, the inquest found. A postmortem examination found no drugs or alcohol in his system and that he had a very large heart “that would have meant that he was susceptible to heart arrhythmias”, where the heart beats too fast, too slowly or irregularly.Tom Osborne, the senior coroner for Milton Keynes, concluded Baldock’s death was an accident.