Head coach Alan Irvine has backed Saido Berahino to become West Bromwich Albion’s main man after recapturing his spark.
The striker will lead the West Brom line again against Everton on Saturday as Irvine hunts his first league win.
He scored twice in England Under-21s’ 3-0 win over Moldova on Monday and has four goals for club and country this season.
Berahino is the only player to score for Albion in the English Premier League this season, a double in their opening-day 2-2 draw with Sunderland.
They have drawn a blank at Southampton and in a wretched 3-0 defeat at Swansea, with new £10 million (Dh59.7m) man Brown Ideye yet to settle and Georgios Samaras lacking match fitness.
But Irvine believes Berahino, who scored just three times after Boxing Day last season, can shoulder the goalscoring burden.
He said: “I certainly think he can be that frontman. He finishes well with either foot and he is one of the players we have got in mind to be one of our strikers.
“He has come in as a young player to a team where, people keep telling me, there were problems last year but all I have seen is a very mature lad who is a good professional.
“I have been delighted with him and I’m excited about the future. He can be a top player.”
Berahino, 21, is yet to play as a central striker with Irvine using him out wide due to Sebastian Blanco and and Silvestre Varela’s lack of fitness.
The summer signings could make their debuts this weekend and Irvine is relishing the chance to let Berahino loose in his favoured position.
“I think his best position is through the middle, he has got good movement and receives the ball well,” said Irvine, who spent over eight years at Everton as assistant manager and head of youth.
“He understands, when we don’t have the ball, where he should be and he has a real desire to work and continue to learn.
“The shame is we have had to play him a bit wider because we haven’t had alternatives. That’s something we’re getting closer to having and hopefully means we can play our players in the places they want to be.
“Full credit to the lads. They have played where they have been asked to and done it to the best of their ability.”
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UAE squad v Australia
Rohan Mustafa (C), Ashfaq Ahmed, Chirag Suri, Rameez Shahzad, Fahad Nawaz, Amjed Gul, Shaiman Anwar, Ahmed Raza, Imran Haider, Muhammad Naveed, Amir Hayat, Ghulam Shabir (WK), Qadeer Ahmed, Tahir Latif, Zahoor Khan
MANDOOB
Director: Ali Kalthami
Starring: Mohammed Dokhei, Sarah Taibah, Hajar Alshammari
Rating: 4/5
The Indoor Cricket World Cup
When: September 16-23
Where: Insportz, Dubai
Indoor cricket World Cup:
Insportz, Dubai, September 16-23
UAE fixtures:
Men
Saturday, September 16 – 1.45pm, v New Zealand
Sunday, September 17 – 10.30am, v Australia; 3.45pm, v South Africa
Monday, September 18 – 2pm, v England; 7.15pm, v India
Tuesday, September 19 – 12.15pm, v Singapore; 5.30pm, v Sri Lanka
Thursday, September 21 – 2pm v Malaysia
Friday, September 22 – 3.30pm, semi-final
Saturday, September 23 – 3pm, grand final
Women
Saturday, September 16 – 5.15pm, v Australia
Sunday, September 17 – 2pm, v South Africa; 7.15pm, v New Zealand
Monday, September 18 – 5.30pm, v England
Tuesday, September 19 – 10.30am, v New Zealand; 3.45pm, v South Africa
Thursday, September 21 – 12.15pm, v Australia
Friday, September 22 – 1.30pm, semi-final
Saturday, September 23 – 1pm, grand final
FIVE TRENDS THAT WILL SHAPE UAE BANKING
• The digitisation of financial services will continue
• Managing and using data effectively will become a competitive advantage
• Digitisation will require continued adjustment of operating models
• Banks will expand their role in the customer life through ecosystems
• The structure of the sector will change
J Street Polling Results
97% of Jewish-Americans are concerned about the rise in anti-Semitism
76% of US Jewish voters believe Donald Trump and his allies in the Republican Party are responsible for a rise in anti-Semitism
74% of American Jews agreed that “Trump and the Maga movement are a threat to Jews in America"
The biog
Hobbies: Salsa dancing “It's in my blood” and listening to music in different languages
Favourite place to travel to: “Thailand, as it's gorgeous, food is delicious, their massages are to die for!”
Favourite food: “I'm a vegetarian, so I can't get enough of salad.”
Favourite film: “I love watching documentaries, and am fascinated by nature, animals, human anatomy. I love watching to learn!”
Best spot in the UAE: “I fell in love with Fujairah and anywhere outside the big cities, where I can get some peace and get a break from the busy lifestyle”
