Berahino's self destructive path that has marred his career

Berahino has lurched from one career crisis to the next, becoming a PR agent's worst nightmare. Whilst Kane has been capitalising on his talent, Berahino has been frittering his away. 

Throughout the majority of his senior career, the 24-year-old has been accused of a lack of discipline, that has lead to his professional playing career derailing. The once talented youngster, has now been banished to the U23s at Stoke City. 

The forward had a tough start in his early life, as he fled the civil war in Burundi following the death of his father. Upon arrival in England, he struggled to reunite initially with his family, and could only communicate in French. Many of Berahino's supporters maintain that his destructive behaviour later on was as a result of that lasting impact. 

Steve Hopcroft, who recruited Berahino for West Brom, said: ''If there is a voice behind you, putting you back on the right path, it must be so much easier than if you're making those decisions yourself. If you're impressionable, it is very easy to go off the rails.'' 

Berahino earned a bad reputation, with drink-driving arrests, failing recreational drugs tests - he maintains that his drink was spiked, being fined £1,500 for arriving late to training and living an inappropriate lifestyle for a top-tier athlete. 

It's a precarious debate, with many people believing that with the right guidance and mentoring, his career could've taken a spectacularly successful route. In fact, Hopcroft added: ''We have players of a similar upbringing to Saido in the system now, who he mentored when he was in a better frame of mind. He could be an absolute delight.'' 

One thing is for sure, that Berahino will be watching the World Cup from a distance. Hopcroft hopes that it will be a stark reminder to the player of his potential, he said: ''Saido will be watching the World Cup and thinking about having once been ahead of Kane. There will come a point where he will sort himself out because he is an intelligent boy. He might still come back up. He has an innate ability to score goals.'' But Hopcroft also warned: ''There are one hundred other things you have to do right professionally and socially to be able to take that chance in a game.''