Saido Berahino has announced his retirement from professional football at the age of 33, a move that comes as Notts County prepare to host his former club Sheffield Wednesday this week. The striker confirmed the news on Sunday via an emotional Instagram post, writing, "A Letter to the Game. Football has given me everything."

Berahino’s career path took him from West Bromwich Albion, where he came through the ranks, to a one-season stint at Sheffield Wednesday in the 2021/22 campaign. He reunited there with his former West Brom boss Darren Moore, making 36 appearances across all competitions and scoring eight goals in 29 League One outings. His most memorable moment in a Wednesday shirt was a hat-trick in a 6-0 demolition of Cambridge United at Hillsborough in March 2022. Following a play-off semi-final defeat that season, he left the club and had spells in Slovenia, Cyprus and India before being without a club for over a year.

Focus turns to coaching

In his retirement announcement, Berahino reflected on a journey "from the streets of Bujumbura to the Hawthorns, from the Premier League to places I never imagined I’d play." He confirmed he will now focus on his coaching role with the Burundi national team, a position he has held since the summer. Former teammates including Barry Bannan and Liam Palmer were among those to share best wishes on social media.

For Notts County, the news provides a backdrop to a key League One fixture. The Magpies, currently 23rd in the league table with just seven points from nine games, welcome sixth-placed Sheffield Wednesday to Meadow Lane on Tuesday. Stuart Maynard’s side are looking to bounce back from a 2-0 defeat at Wycombe Wanderers last time out, a result that leaves them with a goal difference of minus 12, having conceded 22 times. Their recent form shows two wins and three losses from the last five, a run they will aim to improve upon against an Owls side who sit just three points outside the automatic promotion places. Berahino’s retirement closes a chapter just as these two clubs prepare to write a new one in their next fixture.

First reported at The Star