Alan Irvine vows to nurture Saido Berahino
Boss Alan Irvine has vowed to play his part in helping West Brom hot-shot Saido Berahino cope with the pressures of the Premier League.
The 21-year-old striker's stock rose further on Saturday after netting a stoppage-time penalty to earn Albion a 2-2 draw against Crystal Palace.
It was Berahino's eighth goal of the season and Irvine is convinced the Burundi-born star has the potential to become one of the best players in the league.
But the head coach, who played a key role in the development of Wayne Rooney when he was at Everton more than a decade ago, insists the young frontman must maintain his desire and has had several chats with the player to ensure he stays on track.
When asked if Berahino can become an elite player, Irvine said: "I think so. As long as he goes about his job in a way he is doing now – on the field and off it.
"As long as he keeps having this desire to improve which he has at this moment.
"Then of course as long as he can handle the pressure of success. Some can't handle that pressure, they get distracted so it is important he takes everything that is going on at the moment in his stride.
"I have quite a lot of chats with Saido – nothing major, just little chats to just make sure he is going down the right road.
"I have been fortunate enough to have worked with a number of very talented young players over the years. Wayne Rooney springs to mind.
"Saido's getting an awful lot of attention so it is vitally important that we are there to support him and make sure that doesn't take him off track.
"He has got a real chance at this moment of being a top player. We just have to keep him heading in the right direction."
Irvine was impressed by Berahino's composure in putting away the spot-kick to salvage a point after Victor Anichebe had been fouled.
"My emotion when he was preparing to take the penalty was 'thank goodness we have a penalty'," said Irvine. "His ability to deal with that kind of situation makes you feel that bit more comfortable."