George Baldock's cause of death confirmed after footballer found at his Greek home

George Baldock was found dead in the swimming pool of his villa in Greece on Wednesday night and a post-mortem has now confirmed the cause of the former Premier League star's death

George Baldock's death has been attributed to "drowning in water" following a post-mortem examination in Greece.

The 31-year-old was tragically discovered deceased in the swimming pool of his villa on Wednesday night. The Athens-based news outlet Kathimerini reported the findings after the post-mortem was conducted in Athens.

It is believed that Baldock had passed away approximately five hours before he was found.

Results from toxicology tests performed during the autopsy, which will determine if alcohol was in his system at the time of death, are expected to take 'several days' to be returned, according to reports. Concerns were raised when Baldock's partner, who was in the UK, alerted authorities after facing difficulties in contacting him, leading to the discovery of him unresponsive in his pool.

A spokesperson for the Hellenic Police in Greece stated: "A forensic pathologist was called to the scene and examined the body with no evidence of criminal activity. The police searched the house to determine if there were any signs of a burglary with a negative result," reports the Mirror.

They added: "In addition, a specialized team of the Criminal Investigation Directorate of the Police carried out a check on the house in order to rule out the possibility of criminal activity."

Furthermore, it has been reported that the police are reviewing CCTV footage from the entrance of the residence to confirm that no one visited the property in the hours leading up to, or following, his death.

Baldock's family were left reeling by the tragic news and released a statement, saying: "We can confirm that George has sadly passed away. As a family we are in shock at this terrible loss. We ask please that the media respect our privacy at this time."

The ex-Premier League ace had moved to Athens to continue his career with Panathinaikos last summer and was also capped 12 times by Greece. In light of his devastating passing, he will be commemorated at Wembley on Thursday night, with both sides donning black armbands and observing a minute's silence before each of Greece's matches in the following days.

UEFA expressed their deepest sympathies in a statement: "UEFA would like to send its condolences to the family of George Baldock, the Hellenic Football Federation (HFF) and Panathinaikos FC following the Greek international's sudden and untimely death. Following a request by the HFF, a minute's silence will be observed ahead of tonight's UEFA Nations League match between England and Greece at Wembley Stadium, with both teams wearing black armbands during the game."

Tributes have poured in from fellow footballers, with Harry Maguire and Kyle Walker-Peters amongst those sharing their respects online. Dele Alli, who came up through the ranks at MK Dons alongside Baldock and formed a close bond, posted on Instagram Thursday morning to convey his heartfelt affection for his friend.