No West Bromwich Albion fan will forget Saido Berahino, and he certainly hasn’t forgotten them either.
The now 27-year-old, who exiled himself in Belgium last summer, is currently on loan at Charleroi from Zulte Waregem in an attempt to rebuild his career away from prying eyes.
He’s slowly but surely doing it, managing three goals in nine appearances so far this season, as his club grapple towards the top of the table after nine games, capable of overtaking first placed Antwerp with their fixture in hand.
Berahino, who remains an enigmatic figure over in Belgium, opened up to DH on Thursday, where he spoke specifically about West Brom, the club of his heart.
He said: “That’s where everything started for me. Even today, I watch all their games on the TV. If I have the possibility of returning there, I won’t even think and I’ll speed there. At the time, I was young and through I could manage to do it on talent alone.
“My former manager, Steve Clarke, played an important role in my development by pushing me to work hard and make efforts for the team. He helped me open my eyes on the world of professional football”.
During his time at the Hawthorns, the Burundi international featured 121 times for West Brom, where he scored 36 goals in all competitions and assisted another eight.
A failed move to Tottenham led to struggles appearing both in his private life and on the pitch, with a move to Stoke City following, where he failed to recapture his form.
That’s when he decided to move away from England, and try his luck anew in Belgium with Zulte Waregem.
