A former Sheffield Wednesday player has expressed his surprise at being released by the club in 2022.
Sheffield Wednesday are becoming quite notorious for releasing players and then signing a whole load of new free agents.
That’s been the case for the last few summer transfer windows now with the club seemingly playing catch up following their previous years of misspending in the Championship.
And it could well be the case this summer with Danny Rohl unlikely to have very many resources for player recruitment at all.
But speaking on X on Wednesday, former Owls man Saido Berahino held a Q&A, in which he was asked whether or not he was surprised that the club decided to let him go in 2022.
Saido Berahino reacts to Sheffield Wednesday exit
Berahino, 30, joined Sheffield Wednesday for the 2021/22 season, with former West Brom boss Darren Moore bringing him to Hillsborough following a spell in Belgium.
And on the whole, Berahino proved to be a decent signing, scoring nine goals and grabbing four assists in 36 total appearances for the Owls.
But the club decided to release the former West Brom and Stoke City man at the end of the campaign after missing out on promotion to the Championship.
Asked if he was surprised at the decision, Berahino responded: “Absolutely!!!!”
Berahino currently plays for Cypriot side AEL Limassol but sees his contract expire in the summer.
Were Sheffield Wednesday too quick to release Saido Berahino
Berahino said himself that the physicality of League One caught him off guard, joking that he was forced back in the gym following his less-physical spell in Belgium.
But that was an aspect of his game that could’ve been worked on, and his goals record for Sheffield Wednesday spoke for itself.
Although it wasn’t amazing, nine goals in a demanding League One, upon his return to England after a tricky few years, was quite commendable.
And if he had been given time to build on that season and get back to grips with the demands of English football then he may well have played a huge role for the Owls in the following 2022/23 season.
So Berahino, if he was kept around, could even be playing for the club now, and under Rohl, the attacker could’ve blossomed and rediscovered some of his form of old.
But it didn’t work out and now Berahino is at another cross roads with his contract out in the summer.
A return to England would certainly make for interesting viewing, with clubs bound to be ready to take a chance on him.
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