This is what he expects to get from George Baldock

Panathinaikos continues to plan for next season, although this season is not over yet. The Greens, after signing Nemanja Maksimovic in January, have reached a verbal agreement with George Baldock.

The 31-year-old right-back’s contract expires next summer and the trio have taken advantage of this opportunity. Panathinaikos put Baldock under the microscope for a long time and he moved very “quietly” and out of the public eye, knowing that another Greek team had shown interest in signing him.

Thus, Al-Khidr moves to the third Greek addition International footballer after Tassos Bakasetas and Giorgos Limnios.

His experience and performances in England

Panathinaikos is betting a lot on the performance of the 31-year-old right-back. Baldock ate English pitches with a spoon. He competed from the lowest brackets, up to the tough Championship and of course the Premier League. The Sheffield United shirt has been honored with more than that, as he participated in 219 matches and scored six goals.

He has also played for Milton Keynes Dons and Oxford United among others. This means that he is a footballer, who grew up in English stadiums, so he can handle the high tempo and heavy load. The ability is very useful in Stoiximan Super League, where the pace is noticeably lower.

Baldock has great stamina, something the Greens want to take advantage of. In fact, in the 2019/2020 season, he ranked first in minutes played in the entire Premier League. In fact, he played for 3,420 minutes.

The 31-year-old right-back also knows heroism. Not in the Premier League, where he is fighting for his life in a Sheffield United shirt (he has not featured this year), but in the Championship. Baldock was instrumental in the Blades’ two promotions to the top flight, while they were knocked out in the play-off semi-finals by Nottingham Forest in 21/22.

In other words, Baldock knows what it means to compete under result pressure, especially in a tough and demanding league like the second tier of English football.

When he tagged Mbappé

Baldock will compete for the first time with a Greek team, but it will not be the first time he learns about the Greek reality. The 31-year-old right-back has made 12 appearances for the national team, making his debut in the UEFA Nations League in June 2022.

One of his best nights was last summer. The national team stood against France at the Stade de France and needed a penalty kick to eventually lose 1-0 to the French national team. Baldock faced the difficult task of facing Kylian Mbappe alongside him.

“I will do my best” He told SPORT24 before the match, and he succeeded well. He was one of the captains of the national team in this match. In fact, he has received the highest Sofascore rating among Greek footballers.

In that match, he had 58 moves, excellent passing accuracy (23/28), and 2/3 dribbles, while winning almost all of his duels, winning seven out of eight. And all this, in an attempt to curb Mbappe.

Baldock is fascinated by challenges and big games. After all, he has experienced it in the Premier League against top rivals. ““Ever since you are a young footballer and you want to play in these matches, test yourself against the best players on the planet.” He had informed SPORT24.

That’s how he played at Sheffield United this year

This year has not been easy for Sheffield United. The Blades are in last place and have been relegated mathematically. The fact is that George Baldock reduced his participation time compared to previous years.

Baldock played 13 matches, or 969 matches. In fact, he is absent from the field during matches, as he suffers from injury, as the Sheffield coach stated in early April.

This year, in addition to the right-back position, he was also used as a centre-back in a back three. He has 41 movements in 90 minutes, and his playing area extends along the right side, while he is also active in his own team’s area (provided he also plays as a goalkeeper).

Per 90 minutes, he made 26.9 complete conversions and had an accuracy of 73.3%. He is generally a player who steps up on the field on several occasions, but this year he seems to have regressed even more. After all, Sheffield is under pressure from the opposition.

In the blocking part he has 1.4 tackles per game and 0.8 steals. Per 90 minutes he has 3.4 ball possessions and 2.3 ball clearances. Additionally, this year he has won 49% of his duels.

In conclusion, Baldock is a footballer who performs richly at the highest level and is hungry for challenges. In addition to the right-back position, this year he has also played as a goalkeeper in a three, has the ability to play along for his team depending on the conditions, has blocking qualities and can help in the build-up.