Blues central defender Elkan Baggott has joined League Two Gillingham on a season-long loan.

“I'm very happy to be here, I want to improve myself and the objective for me, and us collectively, is to finish as high up in League Two as possible,” the 19-year-old told the Kent club’s official website.

“It's a really good vibe, everyone is happy. Friday was a good session and I'm now looking forward to the game tomorrow. I'm not afraid to make a tackle, I try my best.”

The 10-times-capped Indonesia international, who signed a new three-year deal last month, made his league debut for the Town at Rotherham in April and made another appearance in the 4-0 thrashing of Charlton on the final day having made his senior bow in the EFL Trophy tie against the Gills in October 2020.

Speaking in April, manager Kieran McKenna said he'd talked to Baggott about going out on another loan, the Colchester-raised defender having previously had a spell at King's Lynn in the second half of 2020/21.

“That’s a good possibility and something that we’ve spoken about with Elkan personally,” he said.

“That’s one good option for a young centre-half. Picking up a full season of regular starts can be a big step in your development, as we’ve seen with many centre-halves over the years with Luke Woolfenden easy to make an example of in terms of his experience of going out to Swindon and getting a full season.

“That’s definitely one really good possibility for Elkan, but it needs to be the right club, the right environment and all the right aspects need to fit together for it to be the right experience for Elkan, and if we find that then the possibility of him getting a year’s experience somewhere is definitely one we’re looking at.”

Photo: Matchday Images

Fatboy added 21:00 - Jul 8 That will be good for their shirt sales.
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mikemuhrenthijssen added 21:03 - Jul 8 He should have played for Ipswich this season. Butcher was bedded in without the need to be sent out on loan. Ridiculous.
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blues1 added 21:10 - Jul 8 Mikemuhrenthijssen rubbish it'll be a great move for him. In fact, good for all parties. He wouldn't have got in here regularly with a number of players in front of him for that position. Whereas at gillingham he' ll get regular football. Just as woolfenden did, and downes for that matter. They both came back better for the experience. With ndaba back after his loan he gonna be in front of Baggott. We also have leigh, ball and if we sign Davis, who can play at cb so have plenty of cover there. I'd have been perfectly happy for him to stay here, but a season of regular football will do him the world of good.

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mikemuhrenthijssen added 21:31 - Jul 8 Blues1 terrific analysis… just like Tyreece Simpson… great loan move… all parties ended extremely happy didn't they? The boy Baghott is exceptionally talented and we should be building a team around individuals like Baggott.
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Steelmonkey added 21:34 - Jul 8 He should be well looked safer by Neil Harris thankfully not Steve Evans. Hopefully he will get regular match time and invaluable experience at a higher standard then he is currently playing at.
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ringwoodblue added 21:35 - Jul 8 Even though I would've loved to see him play alongside Woolfie this season, on balance, this is probably the best decision for his development. Let's hope he returns injury-free and a stronger player as a result.
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KiwiTractor added 21:40 - Jul 8 Mikemuhrenthijssen - difference is Baggott has signed a 3 year contract with us. Simpson wants out. blues1 said it right.
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emergencylime added 21:52 - Jul 8 Let's hope he gives the Gills social media admins a headsup
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mikemuhrenthijssen added 21:55 - Jul 8 Kiwitractor… another amazing analysis… so why didn't Simpson sign a contract? Because he felt unwanted and eventually settled in another part of the country… Why did Keiran Dyer leave Ipswich as a coach? A England international who has played under the greatest manager Ipswich has had and the best recent manager Ipswich has had?
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rickw added 21:57 - Jul 8 I'm with others here - it's a good move for all. He would likely be behind Edmondson, Donacien, Woolfenden, Burgess and Ndaba here - so a year's experience to toughen him up and learn some of those dark arts that we know Gillingham do will put him in a great position in a year's time to force his way ahead of the older players
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blues1 added 21:58 - Jul 8 Mikemuhrenthijssen . Are you for real? Ur comparingvtbe Simpson situation to this.? Laughable. Simpson was going out of contract so gad to come back. Then asked for a transfer. Baggott will come back at the end of the season after a loan where he'll likely play a large number of games. Something that wouldn't happen if he is here, with players ahead of him. Even more so with Ndaba back from his loan last season. So yes, him going on loan makes total sense. A good thing for all parties.

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blues1 added 22:05 - Jul 8 Mike muhren thijssen oh my god. Simpson didn't sign a new contract bcsezhis agent filled his head with the rubbish that he's a far better player than he is, and that he could earn more elsewhere. Btw, he hasn't settled somewhere else in the country has he? He's still here. Bcse we've only had 1 bid for him and thst was unacceptable. As for dyer? Apart from , what has that got to do with this, the reason he left is simple. He had a chip on his shoulder at not getting the caretaker manager position when Cook was sacked.

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Edmundo added 22:08 - Jul 8 The World has changed, as has football. It's a squad game, and player development is key: we can always recall in January if he really is showing himself better than what we have in our starting 11.
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mikemuhrenthijssen added 22:09 - Jul 8 Blues1 .. I note your tension and anger in your reply…. You are obviously quite young and naive and not seen as I have the master Mr Robson bed players like Baggott (who reminds me of a young Terry Butcher) into the team…. If you are good enough you will play… do you think he is good enough? I do… ?
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Len_Brennan added 22:21 - Jul 8 A very good move for all parties, particularly those running Gillingham's Asian fanclub. A good young player, with a real chance of having a good league career, getting regular men's football at a club that should be pushing for promotion.
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mikemuhrenthijssen added 22:27 - Jul 8 Short sighted…
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tractorshark added 22:35 - Jul 8 Mikemuhrenthijssen….I'm old enough to have seen Butcher and 1) he was better at that stage than Baggott is right now. And 2) there wasn't much of a loan system back then so it's unlikely he would have been sent out anyway. Clubs operated with small squads boosted by academy products. For better or worse, times have changed. I don't see this harming Baggott or us. He'd be more frustrated playing u23 football here.

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Suffolkboy added 22:41 - Jul 8 Please not another season of indolent moaning from folk who wish to attribute all sorts of negativity to affairs surrounding ITFC .m IF we really believe in KM ( and I do (100%) then trust his judgement ! NH at Gills will be the right sort of Manager to look after EB , encourage him and educate him – absolutely nothing to lose and regular League football to boot ! As for K D – there's no point in us entering into speculation BUT he's in a serious position medically with his kidney and the concern will be affecting his demeanour and thought process every day, so stepping out or back ( & we tried to get him to stay in) will be good ! I believe ,too , that KM gave a commitment to regularly stay in touch with KD - time will tell .Rash emotional over egging and negativity get us nowhere ! COYB

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mikemuhrenthijssen added 23:03 - Jul 8 Butcher's first game was quite frankly awful… a gangly boy… whose legs were all over the place.. average performance I'm sure Terry would agree… but the manager believed in him which is worth a million pound… that is why Keiran Dyer resigned.
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Stato added 23:20 - Jul 8 Baggott is very possibly the best youth prospect we have had since Dyer and it would of been great to see him get more pitch time this season here at Portman Road but the player himself seems to be saying this is the right move so that seems to settle it for me
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Dab added 23:53 - Jul 8 Got to be honest here but Ndaba is a year in front of Baggott having had a very successful year at Salford, winning Player of the year there in the process, so deserves to be in the squad this year pushing for a place. Baggott goes out for a year and hopefully next season we have Ndaba, Baggott and Woolfenden in the team. Whats not to like? The loan system works otherwise not everyone would do it!

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Whos_blue added 00:08 - Jul 9 I'm not really getting the negativity mmt. This is a great move and provides Elkan something we can't - games. If KM sticks with a back three, no-one is breaking into that Donacian, wolf, fridge unit and we'll end up moaning he's only getting the odd pizza cup game. A season full of football is just what he needs. Remember Noble? How much benefit did he and West Ham get from his loan with us. I'm not sure what age has got to do with it, but if it helps, I was lucky enough to see the Robson team before he left.

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blues1 added 00:17 - Jul 9 Mikemuhrenthijssen. When Butcher was playing, there was no loan system so bobby couldn't send him out. So had to either leave him in the reserves or play him and give him the chance to progress in the 1st team. Which he did, of course. I'll wouldnt mind betting, had there been the option of loaning him out it would have happened. So u think dyer left bcse of youngsters not getting a chance. So woolfenden, downes, Clements, Baggott, armin, humphries, el mizouni, have all had chances at 1st team level over the past few seasons, so hardly a case of there being no pathway is there? Chirewa is with tbe 1st team squad at loughborough this week, so getting a chance to put himself into a position to maybe challenge this season. Tho a loan would probably be good for him too. Just as it was for downes when he went out on loan, and woolfenden. Then Ndaba last season. What do you think is better for Baggott then? An odd game here and there with is, or regular football at gillingham, thrn come back ready to challenge for a regular spot here, as others have. Dont get me wrong, id hsve been more than happy for him to be with us, but this loan is beneficial to all parties.

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tractorshark added 00:23 - Jul 9 Mikemuhrenthijssen…. Butcher's league debut was in the top flight against Everton not Rotherham in the third tier. It's a flawed comparison. I'm pretty sure you could only loan a couple of players back then so it's unlikely they would have considered sending him out particularly with Beattie's injury record. You can moan about the decision to loan Baggott and you can back Dyer all you like but don't cite Butcher as an example because it has zero relevance. Reading Baggott's quotes, he doesn't sound overly unhappy about the move. We're not losing the player here and, right now, he's probably not ahead of Edmundsson, Woolfenden and Donacien. I'd rather he developed in League Two than in average U23 matches.

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blues1 added 00:33 - Jul 9 Mikemuhren thijssen I've been supporting itfc for over 50 years. Was at Wembley for fa cup final and in Amsterdam for the uefa Cup final too. So no im not some youngster who's naive. I think Baggott looks a very good player, but he's played 2 matches. Id have been perfectly happy for him to have stayed here, but a loan will benefit him too. Unlikely hes gonna get ahead of the other cbs we have, so playing regularly will be good for him surely? You've been going for a long time too so you've seen how many young players who've had a few good games then disappeared bcse they dont progress. As I said before, there was no loan system in Bobby's,days so loaning players out wasn't an option. Pretty sure if it had been bobby would have used it. Althiugh, of course, squads were much smaller then so loans wouldn't have been possible anyway. No, not angry, just fed up of fans criticising everything the club do. Really thought when Evans went, fans would stop the constant negativity and just get behind what the club are doing. Should have known better with our fans tho. It's really no wonder our fans have been voted the moaniest fans in the country.

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