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Gillingham manager Neil Harris excited by Elkan Baggott's potential and says parent club Ipswich Town are pleased with his progress

Gills boss Neil Harris says Ipswich loanee Elkan Baggott is getting better all the time.

Baggott scored for the second match running as Gillingham came from a goal down to draw 1-1 with Barrow at Priestfield in League 2 on Saturday.

Elkan Baggott scored Gillingham's equaliser against Barrow. Picture: KPI
Elkan Baggott scored Gillingham's equaliser against Barrow. Picture: KPI

Last week, he grabbed the equaliser - his first goal in English football - against Stevenage.

The Indonesia international defender, who turned 20 on Sunday, is starting to make a name for himself under Harris.

It’s early days for the young centre-back but the potential is there for a player who could have been loaned out to “20 or 30 clubs”, according to the Gills manager.

Harris’ groundwork with Ipswich paid off and and the move is working out well for everybody concerned.

“He’s getting better all the time,” said Harris, who spotted Baggott playing under-23s football while he was out of work last season.

“We knew exactly what we were getting when we spoke to the guys at Ipswich, Kieran McKenna (manager) and Mark Ashton, the CEO.

“I spoke to them at length about Elkan and his development and how they wanted him to come to us to experience League 2 football and to get the development he needs.

“We knew there were going to be teething problems at the start, we knew his style of play and how he’d have to adjust to the physical side of it.

“It might sound crazy, because he’s 6ft 5in, but he needs to adjust to the physical side of it and we have been patient with him.

“He can get better and better.

“His decision-making’s getting there with the ball, when to play forward, when to keep the ball, he’s getting better at dominating first balls in both boxes and he reads the game really well.

“He has a lot of potential, Ipswich are really pleased with how he’s getting on and he’ll benefit from the season with us.”

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