West Bromwich Albion striker Saido Berahino has penned a new deal at The Hawthorns which will see him stay there until 2017.
It is believed that the new contract is worth around £20k-a-week, which is a massive difference from his previous £750-a-week deal, which made him one of the lesser paid players in the Premier League.
However, after some impressive performances put in for The Baggies and also for England U-21, Steve Clarke and co. thought it was best to get the 20-year-old to pen his future at the club to fend off interest from bigger clubs.
Six goals in 10 games was enough for Berahino to earn the pay-rise, and the club’s sporting and technical director Richard Garlick is delighted with the news.
“To be able to reward one of our proteges, who has worked his way up through the ranks from the age of 11, is a great moment for the club,” he said.
“It’s a fantastic story for us and especially for our hard-working Academy staff, who have played a fundamental role in his development over the years.
“Producing one or two players who can supplement the first team is something we want to achieve every year.
“We hope this is the start of that process as we feel we have a number of other young, exciting players coming through.
“Saido’s progress should be an inspiration to all of the players within our Academy.
“It’s difficult for any 20-year-old to get into a Premier League side and there are going to be times when Saido’s maybe not playing as much as he would like to.
“He’s not the finished article and he has to remain patient, as we do with him.
“But he has done exceptionally well to get where he is and he now has to focus on what got him here – hard work and keeping his feet on the ground.
Written by Alex Batt – @AlexBatt – @AlexsArticles
