Young gun Keanu Baccus loved Sydney derby experience despite Wanderers being on wrong end of hiding

TEENAGER Keanu Baccus was thrown into the cauldron of the Sydney derby for just his second A-League start, and although it didn’t go well, he was grateful for the experience.

The Baccus brothers, Keanu and Kearyn

TEENAGER Keanu Baccus was thrown into the cauldron of the Sydney derby for just his second-ever A-League start but is grateful for the experience.

Baccus, 19, was one of a few surprising names on Josep Gombau’s team sheet for Saturday’s match against Sydney FC after the new Western Sydney coach opted to ring the changes.

With Jumpei and Brendon Santalab benched and Oriol Riera out injured, Baccus, Lachlan Scott and Josh Risdon found themselves in the starting line-up.

Gombau’s motivation was his desire to change the Wanderers’ style of play, but that confidence took a knock after they lost 5-0 – the club’s heaviest A-League loss.

Keanu Baccus’ brother Kearyn in action against Sydney FC.

BRUTAL DERBY: Sydney put Wanderers to sword

As much as the defeat hurt, Baccus relished the experience.

“A little bit disappointed but grateful to get a start and happy that he (Gombau) has faith in me and in the boys,” Baccus said.

“It hurts, though, the loss.

“It was a great experience and I was thrilled went told I would start; I just wanted to show myself and show what I can do. The result didn’t go that way, but if we believe and move forward I think we’ll be okay in the future.

“He (Gombau) has been very good with me and with the other boys.

“He believes in us and has faith in us, he never puts us down, so I’m very happy and grateful to him for giving me the chance.”

It was Baccus’s first start of the season but he took comfort in the fact that beside him on the field was his brother and role model, Kearyn.

Keanu Baccus tries to win a heading duel with Adrian Mierzejewski.

“That was a very good experience,” Baccus said.

“He’s a very good player and he’s obviously played in the A-League for a few years now, so I’m learning off him at training slowly.

“Hopefully I can be in his shoes one day.”

The Wanderers are winless in eight matches but Gombau was at pains to explain that the process of changing from an old system to his more attacking style takes time.

And as bad as the 5-0 thumping looks on paper, the Spanish coach has no intention of deviating from his project.

“This is the only way I understand football,’’ he said.

“I don’t want to change anything because next week, from this, we will try to better and in a few months we’ll play very good football.

“This is the way. This is how I work, how I believe and I don’t want to change because of the result. Big clubs sometimes take time to build projects and that’s the way.”

Originally published as Young gun Keanu Baccus loved Sydney derby experience despite Wanderers being on wrong end of hiding