Ipswich Town: Bristol Rovers boss Matt Taylor on Elkan Baggott

Baggott has been one of Rovers' best players over their last three games, and shone again despite a 2-0 defeat at home to play-off bound Peterborough United on Saturday.

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The 6ft 4ins centre-back has played 13 games for Rovers since heading there in the January window, scoring once.

The 21-year-old, who also played for Indonesia in the Asian Cup in January, struggled at the Memorial Stadium at first, lasting just 28 minutes before being subbed off against Stevenage in his third start for the club back in February.

But he's since established himself as an important part of the starting XI, in a side set to finish in 14th or 15th place in League One. 

Elkan Baggott has played 13 games for the Gas, scoring once (Image: PA Images)
"He’s been a credit to himself and to his parent club in the time he’s been with us," Taylor said of Baggott, who's under contract at Town until the summer of 2025, with the club having the option to extend that deal by a further year.

"The way he’s conducted himself, the way he’s trained, the way he’s played as well and then his performances on top of that.

“It’s a perfect example of a loan player who has had inactivity of proper football, competitive football for the first half of the season, he obviously went away with Indonesia in a tournament which is totally different to Stevenage and the rigours of League One.

“He’s a young player, and he will have needed that first six, seven games which were quite painful, we have to be honest, in terms of where he was in terms of game time, and he needed that.”

Taylor admitted he'd like to see Baggott, whom he called 'outstanding', back at the Gas next season, too - though conceded that all depends on Town.

“Anyone that performs like that you always want to keep as a manager," he enthused to the Bristol Post.

"We will have those conversations further down the line but first things first for him is finish the season well, stay fully fit and healthy and then he’ll go back to his parent club whose league will still be going on and see where that takes him.”

Elkan Baggott has also spent time on loan at Gillingham (Image: PA Images)
Baggott has played seven senior games for the Blues and made his full league debut in a 1-0 defeat at Rotherham in April 2022.

He's since spent time on loan at Gillingham in League Two and Cheltenham plus the Gas in League One.