JAKARTA - The presence of Elkan Baggot, who was trusted again to strengthen the Indonesian national team in the 2026 FIFA Series competition, is believed to have a positive influence on the Garuda squad's performance.
This was conveyed by head coach John Herdman after leading a training session at the Madya Gelora Bung Karno Stadium, Tuesday.
"He (Baggot, ed) who played in the English second league trained with an intensity that I think is at the highest level. I hope he brings that professionalism here," said Herdman.
Baggot, who is now listed as one of the defenders of Ipswich Town FC - a participant in the English EFL Championship - is a Garuda player who has been trusted to strengthen the Indonesian national team after being absent for almost two years.
The 23-year-old player has previously played for the U-19 national team in 2020 and the U-23 national team in 2023, and most recently defended the national team at the 2023 Asian Cup.
"I've watched him play for Indonesia and I've been impressed. I'm sure he will be the future of the national team," Herdman said.
Meanwhile, Baggot's experience when competing in the English League will also be studied by other national team defenders, namely Rizky Ridho.
"I'm happy that he is trusted again to strengthen the national team. He is now bigger and growing. In addition, his experience is also automatically more and I will learn from him the knowledge he gained while playing in England," he said.
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