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    Dominating Mbappe, Premier League Iron Man, promotion hero: A tribute to Sheff Utd and Greece great George Baldock

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    IT was back in 2019 when Greece legend Vasilis Torosidis retired from international duty after 101 caps and a scintillating service after Giourkas Seitaridis helped us do the unthinkable and win Euro 2004.A giant void was left behind at right-back, many talented players tried to step up but unfortunately none of them could fill those big boots.George Baldock leaves a legacy behind after stunning displays for Sheffield United and GreeceCredit: APBaldock became Greece’s starting right-back upon his arrival in 2022Credit: GettyBaldock put together an amazing performance against France star Kylian Mbappe despite being injuredCredit: GettyBaldock’s last ever match was an impressive display with Panathinaikos before his tragic deathCredit: RexBut soon enough, I started to hear whispers about a Premier League ace with Greek heritage that plays as a starter week-in and week-out…That was none other than George Baldock, born in Buckingham on March 9, 1993, to English parents but qualified for Ethniki through his Greek grandmother.And what a season he was having, the right-back starred for Sheffield United as they surprised the Prem in the 2019-20 campaign – their first in 12 years – by finishing in the top half of the table.And Baldock was among their standout players as he registered a staggering 3,420 minutes played, which was the joint highest return along a select few – only seven of which were outfield players, such as Declan Rice and Virgil van Dijk.Read More on FootballThe defender was fully keen to make the big step to the international stage with the country of his grandmother’s homeland and it didn’t take long until he shook hands with the Greek football federation (EPO) chiefs.However, a long and arduous paperwork hell stood in the way – with the then Sheffield United star claiming COVID-19 and Brexit slowed things down.But finally, Greece got the right-back they were begging for for years as Baldock made his debut on June 2, 2022 in a Nations League clash at Northern Ireland as a late substitute.It didn’t take long until the English-born ace owned the right flank at the back and impressive performances followed.Most read in FootballPerhaps none compare to the Euro 2024 qualifier against France in June 2023 when Baldock did the unthinkable and kept Kylian Mbappe quiet for 104 MINUTES, despite being injured and playing through “unimaginable” pain.I still remember speaking to then Greece manager Gus Poyet about his player’s stunning performance and I will never forget the big smile the Chelsea legend had on his face.Greece boss Poyet reveals Sheff Utd ace Baldock played through ‘unimaginable’ injury when he silenced France’s MbappeThe Tottenham hero reminded me of a proud father as he took me through the injury hell the full-back endured before squaring up against perhaps the world’s best player for his country.A beaming Poyet told me: “Against the Republic of Ireland [three days beforehand] – and now that it is finished I can say it – after 20 minutes he had a very bad twist in his ankle, very bad. He was very close to come out. I asked him, ‘Can you hold until half-time?'”At half-time his ankle was very, very swollen. He asked for a strapping and he 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 outstanding.”You don’t imagine the ankle after the game. You don’t imagine the ankle the day after, after the flight to France. Black and blue – swollen. And a day-and-a-half later you need to play against Mbappe.”Ninety per cent of people will think, no chance. And I keep talking to him, individually. And he keeps saying to me, ‘Coach I’m gonna be there no worries’.”And he didn’t play 20 minutes, he didn’t play 60 minutes, he played 104 minutes because the referee gave 14 minutes of injury time against Mbappe.”A loyal soldierIt’s easy to understand how loyal Baldock has been to every team he ever played for during his 15-year career just by looking at his stats.The Greek ace started his career at MK Dons in 2009 where he amassed a staggering 125 appearances throughout an eight-year stint that also saw him playing on loan for Northampton Town, Tamworth, IBV and Oxford United.The defender joined Sheffield United in 2017 and registered a whopping 219 appearances in seven years that also saw him helping his team achieve two Premier League promotions.Baldock’s work ethic and commitment was no different in Greece as he proudly stated two years ago: “To play for the national side is a great honour and a lot of pride involved for me and my family.”Representing my country through my late grandmother, it’s a very proud moment for me and my family. I love the country and I will fight for every success”Baldock never played for England, but he always competed like a lion and he proved it on Sunday in his last ever match when he started for Panathinaikos, whom he joined in the summer, against eternal rivals Olympiacos in perhaps the most intense derby in Europe.And he served his team with honour as he helped them pick up a valuable point in a goalless draw against their in-form foes, who had just played their best game of the season with a 3-0 win over Braga in the Europa League a few days earlier.READ MORE SUN STORIESHe only managed 12 caps for Greece before his sudden and tagic death at the age of 31 on Wednesday in Athens.But his fighting spirit and charisma at right-back with the white and blue as well as his remarkable run in the Premier League and the Championship show that he is leaving a legacy behind for many Greek and English fans to look up to.George Baldock career statsGeorge Baldock has tragically died aged 312009-2017 – MK Dons 125 games (2 goals)2011 – Tamworth (loan) 3 (0)2012 – IBV (loan) 18 (1)2012 – Tamworth (loan) 15 (1)2015-16 – Oxford United (loan) 47 (3)2017-2024 – Sheffield United 219 (6)2024 – Panathinaikos 4 (0) More

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      Chelsea hasn’t felt so distant from fans since electric fences were mooted, Todd Boehly has done an impressively bad job

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      IT IS small beer to billionaires like Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali.Understandably, the price of a pint at Chelsea, the cost of a coach to Bramall Lane or admission to a youth game won’t even register in the big men’s bank balances.Things have not gone to all according to plan since Todd Boehly arrived at ChelseaCredit: RexBut when you run an English football club, even if you don’t know what’s of value to the fans, you should make sure there are people nearby that do.Boehly and his sidekick are clearly failing in this regard and have scored an own goal just as spectacular as that from defender Axel Disasi against Leicester on Sunday.The letter from Chelsea Supporters’ Trust to the chairman and his co-owner was not your usual fed-up fan rant.It may have been a devastating four-page assassination job on Boehly and Eghbali’s entire regime.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLBut did you notice how little griping was aimed at some of the abject football played by a massively overpriced and underachieving bunch of players?What two hard-nosed American financiers make of being warned about the “irreversible toxicity, almost irrespective of results on the pitch” in a withering assault on their ability to run a Premier League club would be a joy to know. Way to go, boys.It takes some doing to p*** off the normally mild-mannered CST, an elected group of diehards ranging from mid-20s to retirement age and made up of largely professional people.Most read in FootballBEST FREE BET SIGN UP OFFERS FOR UK BOOKMAKERTo them and many others who devote themselves to the pursuit of Chelsea FC, it is not all about silverware — contrary to outside perception.There are some at Stamford Bridge with a sense of entitlement after so many years of winning trophies. FA Cup semi-final draw CONFIRMED as Man Utd, Chelsea, Coventry and Man City find out their fateBut to most, it is a cult, a religion, a devotion. It’s about belonging and feeling part of it. Like at other clubs, win or lose.The price of a pint, a hot dog, a matchday programme, a season ticket or away travel may seem insignificant to those spending £1billion on a development squad.But it means a lot to the fans who were there before and will be there long after Boehly and his pals from Clearlake Capital have cleared off.And they don’t take kindly to being blanked either. The owners of Chelsea have predictably missed the point when it comes to the fan base. Next month’s game at Sheffield United is on Sunday, April 7.Kick-off is at 5.30pm because of the city’s half-marathon earlier that day. There is also a train strike.Yet the away end at Bramall Lane will be full. Just like it was on Christmas Eve at Wolves.A friend paid £600 on the black market for two tickets to see Chelsea the day before New Year’s Eve. He still hasn’t told his missus the true cost.He was at Middlesbrough when a pathetic Chelsea lost 1-0 in a midweek Carabao Cup semi-final.Chelsea have been awful most of this season and last. Yet my friend will still go. So will thousands of others who just want to feel part of the team, even a losing one. The perceived lack of communication from the owners is seen as a rejection of worth.The CST points to a disconnect between club and supporters not seen since the early 1980s.READ MORE SUN STORIESThat was when then chairman Ken Bates tried to electrify the fences surrounding the pitch to thwart the hooligans in The Shed.With crowd numbers on the slide at Stamford Bridge as a result of Boehly and Behdad’s detached, lofty air, they may have to do the same again — only now to keep the fans in. More

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      How will Erik Ten Hag solve his Mason Greenwood dilemma? Man Utd boss faced with making decision after charges dropped

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      ERIK TEN HAG felt he had rid himself of the last distraction in his camp when the club cancelled Cristiano Ronaldo’s contract during the World Cup.The Manchester United boss had grown tired of the Ronaldo question in every press conference and was relieved when it was all over.
      Man United are conducting its own investigation into the allegations made against Mason GreenwoodCredit: AFP
      Erik Ten Hag previously praised the player’s performance on the pitchCredit: Getty
      At lunchtime today at their Carrington training ground, the afterglow of booking a Carabao Cup Final date will have faded.
      Ten Hag’s run of 12 wins and a draw from the last 14 will be shunted to the sidelines ahead of Saturday’s game against Crystal Palace.
      The big question now is what is Ten Hag – who turned 53 today – and United are going to do about Mason Greenwood after charges of attempted rape, controlling and coercive behaviour and assault occasioning actual bodily harm were dropped?
      It is a problem that will persist as long as Greenwood remains in the club’s employment, particularly given what Ten Hag said after being appointed when the player was still on bail.
      READ MORE ON MASON GREENWOOD
      At his unveiling last May he said: “Let’s wait for the judgment.
      “If he’s proven innocent he would get a place in my team, he’s an exceptional talent who can play on the left wing, right-wing, centre forward, and false nine.”
      Indeed he is, but it is all a lot more complicated than that, with the implications going far beyond where he might fit into a 4-2-3-1.
      For over a year, Greenwood will have been hoping the police investigation and subsequent charges – which have been dropped – would all go away and he could pick up where he left off.
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      He was the latest United wonderkid with the potential to be the next Wayne Rooney.
      Have no doubt about it, this two-footed star was that good. He had the world at his feet.
      Now it is about him finding his feet again in a world that is very different to the one he left.
      The skills that graced the football field are no longer what comes to mind when his name is mentioned after those images and that tape came into the public domain.
      Despite no further action being taken and no stain on his character, this will follow him around.
      United will have taken note of this and everything else surrounding the case as they scrambled to sit down with lawyers today after being caught cold themselves by the announcement.
      What they have to juggle is whether a worldwide sporting brand as big as theirs can welcome the 21-year-old back into the fold.
      They have kept paying him and he has two-and-a-half years left on a contract that has the option of a further year on it.
      If anything it will have to be some pay-off if they want him to take his talents elsewhere, if there is an elsewhere.
      As officially still registered as an Under-21 player, Greenwood is eligible to play for United even if he is not officially on the squad list for the rest of the season.
      He can claim that he has every right to return to Carrington and resume training – despite United ordering him to stay away until they have completed their own internal investigation.
      Of course, he would be nowhere near match fit having spent so long on the sidelines, even if he has stuck to his own regime to keep himself in shape.
      That, however, is the least of the concerns.
      How will his teammates, and the rest of the staff at the club react if he returns?
      And what about the Red Devils’ women’s side?
      Outside of the club, social media was hardly welcoming him back to the sport with open arms today.
      Can he mentally recover from it all or cope with what is to come?
      If he does play again chants will follow him wherever he goes.
      Young players are often so good because they play with abandon, there is nothing else to think about in their lives except football, not for Greenwood now.
      All of this is not making a judgement, this is just how it is.
      As a club, United have so much to think about which is why their short statement today was effectively buying them time.
      From a purely financial point of view, they have to take in the reaction of their sponsors.
      Nike and EA Sports were quick to distance themselves from Greenwood when this all blew up.
      It seems a long time ago now that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was building his bright new future on a vibrant young frontline of Greenwood, Jadon Sancho, and Marcus Rashford at the start of the 2021-22 season.
      Greenwood scored in each of the opening three games.
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      After his goal in the first game, a 5-1 win over Leeds, Solskjaer was effervescent in his praise.
      But now the only question is whether he can ever play for United again?
      The charges against the 21-year-old have been droppedCredit: PA
      How will the Red Devil’s boss navigate his Greenwood dilemma?Credit: Getty More