Burundi-born Saido Berahino found himself in the headlines after he refused to celebrate any of his four goals during West Brom’s 7-0 rout of Gateshead in the FA Cup last week.
His non-celebration led to reports that he could be angling for a move away from West Brom, with a number of Premier League rivals circling.
The highly sought-after 21-year-old was back smiling again on Saturday, with his 78th-minute goal giving West Brom a 1-0 win over Hull City at The Hawthorns.
As he celebrated in front of the West Brom faithful, Berahino said he was trying to make a point to those questioning his character and enthusiasm.
“I don’t understand why people were having a go at me for not celebrating. It is not in the rules that you’ve got to celebrate when you score,” Berahino told The Guardian.
“Loads of players don’t celebrate when they score. But I’m always the one getting blamed and picked out at West Brom. I just smile at it and keep my mouth shut.”
Berahino’s temperament has come into the spotlight in recent weeks, with former Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy questioning the striker’s attitude.
But Berahino believes he is being unfairly targeted: “I just think everyone now, because I’m almost a target out there, is trying to bring a bad name to me.
“They are always trying to write something about me, I don’t understand why. I think the people who put me down, they don’t know me first of all.”
