Saido Berahino retires at 33 and turns to coaching in Burundi

Former Premier League striker Saido Berahino has announced his retirement from professional football at the age of 33, bringing an end to a career that saw him rise to prominence in England before representing Burundi at international level.

The striker confirmed his decision in an emotional statement titled “A Letter to the Game”, published on Instagram, saying he was ready to begin a new chapter by focusing on his coaching role with the Burundi national team.

Born in Bujumbura, Berahino moved to England as a child and joined West Bromwich Albion’s academy at the age of 11.

He emerged as one of English football’s promising young forwards during his time at the club.

His standout campaign came in the 2014-15 season, when he scored 20 goals across all competitions, including 14 in the Premier League.

His performances attracted interest from several leading clubs, including Tottenham Hotspur, but a proposed move failed to materialise.

Berahino eventually joined Stoke City in January 2017 for a reported £12 million transfer fee.

However, he struggled to reproduce his West Brom form, scoring only five goals during the 2018-19 season as Stoke sought to return to the Premier League following their relegation in 2018.

Stoke subsequently reached an agreement to terminate his contract in 2019, allowing him to continue his career in Belgium with Zulte Waregem and Sporting Charleroi.

He later returned to English football with Sheffield Wednesday in 2021 before spells in Cyprus, India and Slovenia.

His final playing stint came with Slovenian side Tabor Sežana in 2025.

At international level, Berahino represented England at various youth levels and was called up twice to the senior squad under former manager Roy Hodgson, although he never made his senior debut for England.

He switched his international allegiance to Burundi in 2018, making his senior debut that year before captaining the team at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt.

Reflecting on his career, Berahino expressed gratitude to West Brom for believing in him as a young player and thanked his family, teammates, coaches and supporters for standing by him through difficult and successful periods.

“The time has come to hang up the boots. My body and my heart are ready for the next chapter,” he wrote.

He added that serving Burundi as a coach and helping develop younger players was an opportunity to give back to the country of his birth.

“This is not goodbye to football. It is simply the end of one story and the beginning of another,” he said.