Greece captain paid tribute to George Baldock in spine-tingling pre-match speech ahead of England win
Greece captain Anastasios Bakasetas paid tribute to George Baldock in his pre-match team talk before his side produced a historic 2-1 victory over England at Wembley.
Baldock was found dead in a swimming pool at his house in Athens on Wednesday evening.
A post-mortem ruled that the cause of death of the former Sheffield United star, who was 31, was 'drowning in water'.
Police say they have no initial indication that the death was suspicious.
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The right-back was contracted to Panathinaikos, and had started for them against Olympiakos on Sunday.
Baldock, who was born in England but was of Greek descent, was able to represent the Greece national team from 2022.
He was not called up to the squad for the match, with the defender having recently recovered from injury.
Greece players paid tribute to their former team-mate, who collected 12 caps, after the match by holding up his shirt in a group photo, and also after they scored.
Before the match, meanwhile, Bakasetas gave a spine-tingling speech about Baldock to his squad.
He said (translated to English via @Thrylos7Intl): "We know our team's strength, and what we've done to get here.
"We fear no-one. And we'll prove it from the start. We understand this game's importance.
"Many of us know what George meant, and the kind of man he was.
"George was always the example for this team, because many times he put his heart and soul into it, prioritising the team above all else, even sacrificing his physical wellbeing.
Tasos Bakasetas Captain's speech - with English subtitles - yesterday before England 🏴 vs Greece 🇬🇷 kicked off at Wembley yesterday night
— Thrylos 7 International (@Thrylos7Intl) October 11, 2024
Yesterdays historic win dedicated to the tragically departed, George Baldock 🕊️
🎥 @EthnikiOmada #Greece #ENGGRE #NationsLeague pic.twitter.com/VLQaahk9pz
"Today, in the game, he'll be our inspiration. Each of us will give our all to honour him as he deserves.
"Let's all be ready. Come on, let's go!"
Greece secured their famous victory following a brace from forward Vangelis Pavlidis, who plays his club football for Benfica.
Ivan Jovanovic's side have now won all three of their Nations League B matches, and sit three points ahead of England in their group's table.
Ryan Smart