Saido Berahino, the Burundi-born striker who became a £12m Stoke City signing, has ended his playing career at 33.
Saido Berahino has called time on his football career at 33, closing a journey that began in Burundi and took him to the heights of the English game.
Born in Bujumbura, Berahino moved to England as a child and rose through the ranks at West Bromwich Albion. His goals in the Baggies' first team made him one of the most sought-after young forwards in the Premier League and earned him recognition at England youth level.
In January 2017, Stoke City made him a marquee signing, paying £12m to bring him from The Hawthorns. The move was meant to be the defining step of his career, though the goals never flowed the way the club or the player had hoped, and his later years were spent searching for form and stability at a series of clubs.
His story stays notable for its start. A Burundi-born kid who reached the English top flight and commanded a eight-figure fee is a path few East African players have walked. Berahino now steps away with a Premier League chapter that is still worth remembering.
