Former Blues striker Darren Bent says he’s been very impressed by young Town defender Elkan Baggott, who was linked with Premier League West Ham and Leeds earlier in the week.

The 18-year-old was reported to have turned down the offer of a professional contract with the Blues, however, that is not the case, the Indonesian U19 international has instead asked the club for time to consider the deal.

Baggott is a second-year scholar with a third season full-time in the academy already agreed.

Bent came through the academy system at Playford Road and went on to feature for the Blues and a number of other clubs in the Premier League and won 13 England caps, scoring four times, before retiring in the summer of 2019.

“First of all, Leeds better leave my young Ipswich Town players alone, just leave them where they’re at,” Bent told Football Insider.

“He’s a youngster I’ve seen quite a lot this season, he is very, very good. I’ve seen him a fair bit and obviously, I still speak to a number of people who have been raving about him.

“Leeds obviously identifying this is a young lad that could get better so I can fully understand it because he’s a good player.

“He reads the game relatively well for a youngster, for a young kid he reads the game very well. He’s relatively comfortable in possession as well.

“The biggest thing for defenders, I think too many people get caught up on like John Stones, for instance, that that type of centre-half that can play, can bring it out. I’d compare him more to someone who takes pride in his defending.”

Baggott, who was due to be at an Indonesian U19s training camp in Spain this month but has been unable to travel due to Covid restrictions, is likely to be in action for the Blues U23s in tomorrow’s behind-closed-doors friendly against Crystal Palace at Playford Road.

Photo: Matchday Images

arc added 15:56 - Jan 8 Darren! Shusssshhhhh! :-)
3

itfcjoe added 16:01 - Jan 8 Interested to know how Bent has seen a lot of him this season? Is he getting involved at all in the academy
0

goperryrevs added 16:05 - Jan 8 He lives near me in the Midlands, so I'd be surprised if he's still involved with the club to that level.
0

Suffolkboy added 16:07 - Jan 8 We do seem to still be doing something's very well ; finding , nurturing ,training and educating youngsters in an excellent manner ! Well done to all ,especially at Playford Rd and the Academy ! COYB
3

Upthetown1970 added 16:31 - Jan 8 How has Bent seem a lot of him ?. He lives nowhere near Ipswich these days and the u23 games are not shown on the internet. Very strange comments in my opinion.
0

PhilTWTD added 16:37 - Jan 8 itfcjoe Indeed, I wondered the same, given the restricted entry to the training ground for games this season. I assume he may have watched the streamed Youth Cup matches.
0

timkatieadamitfc added 16:37 - Jan 8 Doesn't matter how good he is, he's not getting in in front of Chambers
1

Saxonblue74 added 17:18 - Jan 8 Seems we have a new Robsonwark in town! Not many articles that timkatieadamitfc can't turn into an anti Chambo comment! I'm sure the lad Baggott could learn an awful lot playing alongside our skipper.
3

Bluearmy_81 added 17:38 - Jan 8 Evans will flog him for a quick buck pretty soon more than likely. Town fans won't object...
-4

midastouch added 17:45 - Jan 8 Sadly you don't need to be very good to be too good for Ipswich these days. Our stock has fallen to what feels like all-time lows under Evans.
1

BcarefulwhatUWish4 added 18:31 - Jan 8 The academy has continued to train up some really good players. Ben Knight who went to Manchester City. Marcelo Flores who went to Arsenal. Both top players. And now Elkan Baggott.
1

istanblue added 18:48 - Jan 8 Bent: Baggott's Very, Very Good Lambert: Baggott's Really, Really Good
3

timkatieadamitfc added 19:05 - Jan 8 @saxon - my post is not anti chambers, it's fact. I have nothing against Chambers I just don't think he's that good, look at how many mistakes he's made the last 2,3, 4 years that have led to us conceding goals( you must have read 100s of other posters on here moaning about exactly same thing, it's not just me) Do you really think if KVY was fit he wouldn't AUTOMATICALLY go straight back to centre back. I know they're both young but woolfenden( who is future of our club) and macguinnes(who isn't even our player) do not deserve to be just dropped like they definitely would, as neither of them make as many mistakes as Chambers. Herein lies the problem, Lambert has his favourites - Chambers, Judge, Skuse who seem to play regardless and they are clearly not good enough, hence our continued decline, of course I'm not putting all the blame on those 3 but they are the seniors who the young ones should be looking up to and learning from, but these players IMO are already better. If things aren't going well and you continue to do same thing nothing will ever change. Again nothing personal against chambers but do think we need to move half a dozen players on sooner than later with him being one of them

-1

Linkboy13 added 19:54 - Jan 8 Very impressive against Fulham he's not your normal looking Ipswich youth team player. He's quite strong and physical compared to the midgets we normally produce. Probably means we'll lose him. Which begs the question is it really worth producing our own players if teams just come and help them selves. Didn't happen in Bobby Robson's day when we produced international players. At least they stayed for two or three seasons before they departed.

0

MonkeyAlan added 09:51 - Jan 9 Train them. Then they leave to be never heard of again. Or they get into the first team and are constantly injured. Evans you muppet.
-4

NITFC added 14:19 - Jan 9 In recent years a number of young players have left for clubs like Chelsea and Man City only to be lost in their huge academies - career over. I accept that we will always lose good players but the way to do it is to have a few good seasons with "lesser clubs" before getting their big move. A la Creswell, Mings, etc I hope that's the idea for Downes, Woolfie and Baggott Better still, they help us get promoted and have no reason to leave.....

0

Simonds92 added 15:10 - Jan 9 "My point isn't anti Chambers..." *Proceeds to hammer Chambers* He's currently doing a better job at RB than anyone else who are available. Just because the other 2 are young does not mean they are better players, if we had a more experienced option available id drop one of them straight away, they're continually making mistakes that we cant afford.
-1

timkatieadamitfc added 18:28 - Jan 9 Yes simmonds I suppose he wasn't at fault for Swindon opener(still in opposition half near enough as ball knocked into net from a cross from right where he should have been) unbelievable “Hammer” him give me a break I'm just pointing out facts that most others can see, still we'll probably have a disagreement next week about another goal that could have been stopped

1

Linkboy13 added 11:38 - Jan 10 If this boy is wanted by premier clubs why isn't he in the first team squad. He's definitely up to it physically and it might give him encouragement to stay at the club.
0

Blogs 295 bloggers

Ipswich Town Polls