JERMAINE JENAS EXCLUSIVE: Berahino is not entirely to blame - his career is being mishandled

This week we saw the latest chapter in Saido Berahino’s ongoing transfer saga with West Bromwich Albion. This has clearly been a difficult period for both parties, but I can understand the position that Berahino is in.

As a young player all you want to do is develop. I remember when I left Newcastle to join Tottenham Hotspur, the money was in no way a motivation for me, it was all about becoming a better player. I had been played at left back, right back, and I just felt like I wasn’t developing as a player. I saw the opportunity to join Tottenham and I took it, because I felt it was the best decision for all parties.

I can’t speak about whether Berahino feels the same, but one parallel I can draw with his situation and my own is a clear lack of communication. I remember going to Barbados for a holiday while at Newcastle, and seeing myself plastered on the back-page of the Sun newspaper with the headline, “Jenas unhappy, and will be next to go."

Now, I knew I hadn’t said anything like that, and I expected a phone call from the club so I could confirm that to them too. I was there for about two weeks and no call ever arrived. I started to wonder if they had leaked the story, because I had always taken it upon myself not to comment on speculation linking me with a move away from the club.

That sprouted a feeling of frustration in me that eventually bled over onto the training field. I had a small clash with Celestine Babayaro and ended up just walking inside, getting my car keys then and driving home. I remember calling my mum and she said I should go back. I gave myself some time to calm down before I went back and had a conversation with Graeme Souness. It was the first proper chat I’d had about my situation, but it was in a world without places like Twitter to air your views. That meant we could deal with things internally as a football club.

By contrast, Berahino had that outlet of social media and he used it. As someone that is interested in running my own sports management company in the near future I can say I’d never want my client to use social media in that way. For me football is about trust, promises and handshakes. You can’t ever really do that when you’re broadcasting things on social networks like Twitter.

I know he chose to separate from his agent Aidy Ward in the summer, and that may be because he felt his agent was holding him back from getting that big move. In general, agents are a mixed bag. The good ones earn their money by talking to clubs and removing a lot of the little obstacles in a player’s life. That can be things like endorsements and fan mail; stuff you rarely think about.

However, as I got older I realised when I did need an agent and when I didn’t need one. I remember at Spurs going into a meeting  with Daniel Levy on my own to discuss my contract. At that particular time I wasn’t 100% happy with what was on the table, but I felt comfortable going in there without my agent and having a conversation with him, because me and Daniel have always got on well.

Berahino is still a young man though, and it’s sad to see his career mishandled in this way. He’s gone from being talked about as a member of the England squad and a potential call-up for the European Championships, to someone that can’t get on the pitch for West Brom. As a player that can frustrate you as it feels like your career has stopped. The best way to fix that, as I said before, is to communicate with the football club behind closed doors.

That’s also why I was disappointed to see him take to Twitter in the way he did. I understand he is frustrated in the heat of the moment, but to state publicly he would never play for Jeremy Peace again was naive. One thing I’ve learned as I’ve grown up in football is that you should never burn bridges. You may need Jeremy’s help one day. He may be working at a club you’re looking to join, and I don’t think voicing your frustrations like that will get the result you intend. It certainly didn’t help Berahino.

In fairness, neither will reading the newspapers. I rarely read the papers during my career. There was no benefit to be served and a lot of things were simply fabricated. My infamous ‘goldfish bowl’ comment about Newcastle for example never came out of my mouth. I loved that city. I was playing in the Champions League, I had a good social life, and I was improving as a player. When you’re young you appreciate that fame and you enjoy it, so I didn’t see the fact it was goldfish bowl as a bad thing at all.

The press speculation over a move can also be difficult to handle. At Nottingham Forest I was lucky because the deal arrived really quickly. I was enjoying a day off when someone told me that Paul Hart wanted to see me in his office. He sat me down and told me that the club had received three offers.

One was for £2million from Manchester United, while Newcastle and Leeds had both bid £5million. He went on to explain that there was a car from Newcastle half an hour away, and I would be going up there to discuss things.

One player that had a slightly more protracted situation was Luka Modric. Spurs had asked him to give them one more year before they sold him and he did. He was all geared up to join Chelsea after they made an offer, but Spurs decided against selling him - which they were well within their right to do - and he had to accept the move to Chelsea wouldn’t be happening.

What impressed me most during the whole situation was how Luka handled it. He could easily have decided to sulk or go inside himself, but he maintained an exceptional level of performance and professionalism throughout his last season with Spurs.

Consequently I think Berahino could learn something from Luka. If you only ever focus on your football like Luka did, you’ll find yourself earning the opportunities you’re craving, just like he did with Real Madrid. It just takes patience.

Follow Jermaine on Twitter at jjenas8