Berahino explains WBA exit

Saido Berahino has denied claims that he was overweight at West Bromwich Albion and has opened up about why he was frozen out of the picture.

The 23-year-old endured a difficult period at the Hawthorns, not appearing for a first-team game since September and appearing only sporadically last season.

The striker was the subject of several bids from Tottenham Hotspur in the summer of 2015 which were rejected and Berahino apologised for threatening to strike on Twitter, a move which went down very badly among the Albion support.

He finally moved to Stoke City last week for an initial £12m and believes he was frozen out by Baggies boss Tony Pulis because he refused to sign a contract, with his one having been due to run out this summer.

"It is hard to explain [being frozen out], because the reason they were saying in the press was the opposite to what I knew," Berahino said.

“I was accused of being fat – but how can you become fat after starting three games in the league, and then being dropped? Suddenly you are unfit? So it is a question mark.

“They never actually told me why I wasn’t playing. It could be because I didn’t sign a new contract.

“I think it is, because if you see, they offered me three different contracts in the space of three or four months, so it could be part of it.

“And especially when, from the first one, I said to them I didn’t want to sign because I didn’t feel like I was part of their plans, and they still went and offered me a new one.

“I didn’t want the fans thinking I was rejecting it because I’m bigger than the club – that’s never been the case.

“I’m not bigger than West Brom – they made me who I am right now and gave me that platform, so it was hard for me, getting all that abuse from the fans. They made life hard for me and my family.

“They didn’t understand exactly what was happening, but the people involved in it know exactly what happened.”

“They had to cover themselves – the club always has their own interests. They say what they have to say.

“I know why it could be that I wasn’t playing.”

“I’ve had fans who said I was leaving because of money and I’m a money-grabber.

“I got offered a contract after the 2014-15 [a season in which he made his name, scoring 20 times] which was way more than I expected and I refused to sign it because I believed the club wasn’t going in the right direction for me.

“If I was a money-grabber I would have signed.

“And after that I was offered three more contracts – it was a lot of money, but if I’m not happy where I’m playing or feeling I’m part of the group I’m not going to sign.”

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