MX23RW : Wednesday, March 12 14:25:09| >> :600:101216:101216:

Alan Irvine: 'Saido Berahino the new Ian Wright'

West Brom boss Alan Irvine tips Saido Berahino to become the next Ian Wright after claiming that the two hitmen share a number of qualities.

West Bromwich Albion boss Alan Irvine believes that the in-form Saido Berahino is well on his way to becoming the next Ian Wright.

The 21-year-old's stock continues to rise after he struck his seventh goal of the season in Monday's 2-2 draw at home to Manchester United.

Irvine played alongside Wright at Crystal Palace and is confident that Berahino can go on to scale the same heights as the legendary Arsenal striker.

He told The Mirror: "I played with Ian at Crystal Palace and Wrighty had that energy and enthusiasm and wanted to run in behind people.

"That's a real strength of Saido's, too. If he keeps doing that then defenders don't like it and he will keep on getting his ­opportunities. I didn't say he is as good as Ian, but he is that type and he is heading in that direction.

"Ian became better and better as he went on, that was down to what he already had plus the fact he never lost that enthusiasm. He always had that approach to the game and his training."

Wright struck 184 goals for Arsenal in a seven-year stint in North London, with only Thierry Henry scoring more for the club.

ID:184419: cacheID:184419:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:restore:2212:
Written by
Shane Callaghan
Restore Data
Share this article now:
Manager Alan Irvine of West Brom looks on during the Barclays Premier League match between Southampton and West Bromwich Albion at St Mary's Stadium on August 23, 2014
Read Next:
Preview: West Brom vs. Palace
>
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Sheffield UnitedSheff Utd37247652282477
2Leeds UnitedLeeds362210472234976
3Burnley372015250113975
4Sunderland371912655342169
5West Bromwich AlbionWest Brom371317747331456
6Coventry CityCoventry37168135248456
7Bristol City37131594740754
8Middlesbrough37158145748953
9Blackburn RoversBlackburn36157144137452
10Sheffield WednesdaySheff Weds37149145358-551
11Norwich CityNorwich371213125952749
12Watford36147154650-449
13Millwall361212123637-148
14Queens Park RangersQPR371111154248-644
15Preston North EndPreston37917113743-644
16Swansea CitySwansea36128163846-844
17Portsmouth36119164457-1342
18Oxford UnitedOxford Utd36912153753-1639
19Hull City36910173645-937
20Stoke CityStoke36812163650-1436
21Cardiff CityCardiff37812174061-2136
22Derby CountyDerby3798203749-1235
23Luton TownLuton3797213460-2634
24Plymouth ArgylePlymouth36612183673-3730


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!