What happened to Saido Berahino? From Premier League starlet to Slovenia’s second division

Once hailed as one of England’s most promising young strikers, Saido Berahino was tipped for greatness after a breakout season at West Bromwich Albion. Fast forward a decade, and the former Premier League forward is now playing in Slovenia’s second division—a far cry from the big stages he once graced.

From hype to headlines

Born in Burundi and raised in Birmingham, Berahino burst onto the scene in the 2014/15 Premier League season, scoring 14 goals in the league and 20 in all competitions for West Brom. That campaign put him on the radar of Tottenham Hotspur, who made multiple bids to sign him.

But West Brom refused to sell, and the fallout was messy. Berahino famously tweeted he would “never play” for chairman Jeremy Peace again—a public outburst that marked the beginning of a downward spiral.

The fall

After a series of disciplinary issues, fitness concerns, and underwhelming performances, Berahino finally left West Brom for Stoke City in 2017. The club paid around £12 million, hoping he’d rediscover his form. He didn’t.

At Stoke, Berahino scored just 3 goals in 51 appearances. Off the pitch, he faced further issues, including legal troubles and a drink-driving conviction. His contract was terminated in 2019.

Journeyman years: Belgium, France… and now Slovenia

Following his Premier League exit, Berahino tried to rebuild his career abroad. He joined Zulte Waregem in Belgium, then spent time on loan at Charleroi, and later moved to Sheffield Wednesday in England’s League One.

None of those spells truly reignited his career, and in 2023, in a surprising twist, Berahino signed for NK Tabor Sežana, a club competing in the Slovenian second tier. As of now, he’s made only one appearance, playing just 28 minutes.

It’s a stunning fall from grace for a player once linked with England’s senior squad and Europe’s elite clubs.

Berahino's career stats snapshot

What went wrong?

Saido Berahino's story is not just one of missed chances—it’s also a tale of timing, pressure, and decisions that ultimately derailed a once-glittering path.

At West Brom, he exploded onto the scene with the kind of raw talent that had top Premier League clubs scrambling for his signature. Tottenham’s pursuit was well-documented, and it felt like only a matter of time before he’d make the leap to a Champions League side. But when West Brom refused to let him go, the striker’s frustration boiled over. His now-infamous tweet, declaring he would “never play” for the club’s chairman again, did more than sour relationships—it altered the trajectory of his career.

From that moment on, Berahino was no longer just a promising young striker. He became a figure embroiled in contract disputes, fitness concerns, and questions about his professionalism. The move to Stoke City was meant to be a fresh start, but instead, it magnified the issues. The goals dried up, and so did the patience of coaches and supporters.

Legal troubles and off-field distractions further clouded his reputation, and by the time he began looking for opportunities abroad, the doors to top-level English football had quietly closed behind him. Spells in Belgium and the lower tiers of English football followed, but the spark of that 2014/15 season never returned.

Now in Slovenia, playing for a club in the second division, Berahino’s journey serves as a sobering reminder of how quickly promise can unravel when pressure and poor decisions collide.

A second chance?

At just 30 years old, Berahino isn’t finished yet. While Slovenia’s second tier may seem far from the bright lights of the Premier League, it could still offer him a space to reset, reflect, and reignite his passion for football—if he’s willing to fight for it.

 

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Written by Klemen Kos , football journalist with 20 years of experience.

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