The hard work starts now for West Brom's Saido Berahino

Like most young footballers watching the midweek’s European action, Saido Berahino would have been dreaming of playing in the Champions League amongst Europe’s elite. Fortunately for the young Englishman, he on the right path to playing in it one day, but it is a path that is precarious as it is promising. The 20-year-old announced his arrival to the world with a hat trick against Newport County in the first round of this year’s Capital One Cup in his first senior start for West Bromwich Albion, but if that wasn’t enough to catch the eye of those watching, his next two goals certainly did. On the 25th of September, he rose unmarked to score his team’s equaliser against Arsenal in the same competition and although that game ended in defeat via the lottery that is the penalty shoot-out, his next goal would ensure a famous victory for his team. [caption id=“attachment_1147431” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Saido Beradino celebrates with West Brom manager Steve Clarke after scoring against Manchester United. AFP[/caption] Three days after that goal at The Hawthorns, Berahino ensured Steve Clarke’s team made history at Old Trafford when he scored the Baggies’ winning goal, ensuring his team came away with their first win at the Theatre of Dreams since 1978, further increasing the scrutiny that he had been under since that goal against the Gunners. Berahino will know full well that in walking down this path, he is travelling down one that so many have walked on before, but few have successfully completed. That he has scored two goals for the England U-21 team will not make his journey any easier because of the pressure that forces outside his control will heap upon him. The English media will be the first. Desperate for their messiah to carry on England’s legacy that was first established by Bobby Charlton, Bobby Moore and Geoff Hurst, the harsh glare of their spotlight will fall on him as quickly as it did on the likes of England’s so-called Golden Generation which includes players such as David Beckham, Michael Owen, Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard and Wayne Rooney among others. It is not a spotlight that has benefited England’s next generation of players. Theo Walcott is the best example to illustrate that. Picked as a 17-year-old in Sven Goran Eriksson’s team that went to Germany in 2006, the press expected him to deliver glory overnight. But that pressure proved to be too much for the young winger, who is only now beginning to show promises of what was expected of him seven years ago. That Berahino is in the final year of his contract at West Bromwich Albion does not make things any easier for him. Having burst onto the footballing map, his agent will surely be trying to get the best deal for him. The Daily Mail reports that both Everton and Arsenal have already expressed interest in signing him when his contract expires at the end of the season and the presence of scouts from several of England’s leading clubs will surely weigh on him. Roberto Martinez, Everton’s new manager, has already instructed chief scout Kevin Reeves to take a look at Berahino and Arsenal are widely known for their policy of blooding young players. And they could end up getting him on the cheap: Berahino is on £850 a week and is valued at a paltry £300,000. Steve Clarke has already laid the foundations for a new deal for his starlet, but the striker could well choose to move away from Albion. But the truth is that no matter how hard Steve Clarke tries to shield his young prodigy from those who are observing him so closely, Berahino will surely be aware of all that surrounds him, and it will not necessarily have a positive impact on him. External forces aside, Berahino cannot get this nascent success get to his head, because like so many before him, it will be detrimental to him and it is something he has already experienced before. While on loan at Brentford in 2012, the young forward got into an argument with manager Uwe Rosler. The German gaffer subsequently decided to cancel his loan spell after Berahino took to Twitter to vent his frustrations on the manager after being hauled off at half-time in a defeat to Leyton Orient. He must therefore have the right attitude and approach his development with a single-mindedness that should not waver, irrespective of all that transpires around him. Otherwise, like so many before him, he will fade into mediocrity, and the myriad number of eyes that were focused on him will disappear as quickly as they appeared.