On loan defender Elkan Baggott goes into this weekend’s trip to Doncaster Rovers as Gillingham’s joint top scorer – a long way from his Papa John’s Trophy debut for parent club Ipswich Town in October 2020.

For the giant Indonesian defender, the options where to go on loan were many and varied and he explained to KSN this week exactly how and why he swapped Suffolk for Kent telling us:

“Clubs will show their interest and we narrowed it down and were left with a few clubs to choose from and we (Ipswich and me) decided together that Gillingham was the best place to come to. I then had a few conversations with the manager and really hit it off.”

“Ultimately it was that which clinched the move as the place for me to come and develop and that made me feel that Gillingham was the best place for me to come and develop.”

It was two years ago that Baggott made his debut for Ipswich against the Gills in the Papa John’s Trophy, and the young defender admitted, “I wouldn’t say that the progress is a surprise as I’ve always had the self-belief that I could play at this level.”

“But I suppose if you look at other central defenders, there aren’t many young ones playing League football week in, week out. So, I’d say the progress is a surprise, but I do believe that I can play at this level.”

“I’ve found that I learn more playing next to an experienced player rather than playing against an experienced striker because it helps you copy their game and look at their smart moves which they do to give them the advantage, and that’s what I’ve learned so much from Max (Ehmer) – he’s really helping my game as well.”

“He’s fairly laid back on the pitch but always seems to make the right decision – when it comes to going against a striker, he’s aggressive and the rest of the time, he’s reasonably laid back and for a young player like me, he’s a great player to play alongside.”

“It helped me especially the first few games as I came in and you’re eager to get going and impress, he’s helped a lot!”

Baggott has missed a few games this season because he’s been away representing Indonesia and became the first person to play in the EFL and then recently at Priestfield became the first Indonesian to score in the League.

“I’m always extremely honoured to play for my country. In some respects, it’s a mental refresh as to go to a different environment and then come back again, gives you extra energy and a boost and for me it’s a great experience!”

Picture supplied by Gillingham Football Club.