IT’S GREEK LIGHTNING FOR BLADE BALDOCK

HERITAGE: George Baldock

SHEFFIELD UNITED’S George Baldock has enlisted the help of a Premier League rival to make him a ‘Beta’ player.

The defender, who hails from Buckingham, has been capped 12 times by Greece after discovering he qualified due to his family’s ancestry.

And in a real show of commitment to his adopted country, Baldock is now attempting to master the language – with Liverpool’s Kostas Tsimikas pledging to accelerate the process.

He said: “Tsimikas has become a really good friend and, being used to living in this country, he’s really helped me a lot by translating whenever he’s needed to.

“Whenever we have player meetings, he sits next to me and whispers in my ear everything that’s being spoken about. He does that whenever the captain is speaking, for example, and always makes sure he’s next to me at dinner so I really feel a part of things.”

Baldock, 31, is eligible to represent the former European champions thanks to a Greek grandparent and “half Greek” father who is “hugely proud” of his heritage.

He added: “People joke with me that I’ve been to Mykonos and think I’m Greek because of that. But there’s more to it. A lot more in fact.

“My grandma was 100 per cent Greek and my dad is hugely proud to be half Greek.

“There’s much more to this for me than just going out there and playing.”

Baldock is set to become a free agent this summer following seven seasons with United, who finish their campaign at home to Tottenham today.