Ipswich Town may have narrowly lost their latest EFL League One match 1-0 away at league leaders Rotherham United, however, the Tractor Boys were one proud team as young defender Elkan Baggott made history at the New York Stadium on Saturday.
By virtue of starting Saturday’s League One match – Elkan’s league debut for Ipswich’s senior team following appearances with their youth side – the 19-year old defender has notched himself in the history books for being the first Indonesian player to start in any of the four tiers of the English professional football leagues.
Elkan’s much-awaited debut was met with much fanfare and despite Ipswich ending the day as losers thanks to a late Michael Smith goal, Elkan’s performance within the Tractor Boys’ defense was met with praise, seamlessly integrating himself into the Ipswich backline in place of the suspended Cameron Burgess.
“Elkan can be pleased with himself,” said Ipswich manager Kieran McKenna as quoted from the club’s official site, “He was nice and composed on the ball and it was a challenge for him against Smith. He applied himself very well.”
The player himself was delighted in his senior league debut, tweeting, “An unforgettable day” after the match.
It is yet to be seen if Burgess will reclaim his place in the Ipswich defense in the Tractor Boys’ next match or whether Elkan will continue to act as his deputy, but the defender’s outing at Rotherham is indeed a very good sign for his development as a player.