Tottenham Hotspur have had few problems up top for years now. Harry Kane has made the striker spot his own, and it will remain that way as long as he is at the club.
However, before the Englishman burst onto the scene, Spurs had a lot of trouble up front. Lack of a proper goalscorer was a massive issue for Tottenham pre-Kane, and that is when they tried to sign Saido Berahino from West Brom.
The Burundi international was a rising star five years ago. He scored 20 goals and provided six assists in the 2014/15 season, and it looked certain at one point that he was headed to White Hart Lane.
However, Spurs’ bid wasn’t enough to convince West Brom, and the striker stayed at the Hawthorns. Berahino has since lost his way. He plays in the Belgian top-flight now, and he feels that his failed transfer to Tottenham was the biggest reason why his career has turned out this way.
He told DH: “I progressed too rapidly and everything went too quickly. It’s when West Brom refused to let me go to Spurs that the problems started for me. It was difficult for my family members to advise me because they hadn’t been in that situation.”
“I wasn’t mature enough and didn’t have the people with experience around me to give me good advice. I lost my focus and it sent me into a depression. If things aren’t well in your head, you won’t be able to do anything on the pitch.”
Berahino was once one of the finest prospects in the Premier League. He had all the characteristics a manager would look for in a striker, but everything fell apart for him after missing out on a move to Tottenham.
Now playing in Belgium with Charleroi, on loan from Zulte Wargem, Berahino is looking to get his career back on track. He scored on his debut for his new club, and if he can continue finding the net, he could well return to England to fulfil his potential.
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