The Premier League goalscoring charts currently contain a name that will be unfamiliar to many. West Bromwich Albion striker Saido Berahino, who's just 21, has been banging them in since the start of the season, and at time of writing has scored 7 goals in his first ten games (6 in 8 league games).
Having scored against teams including Liverpool and Manchester United, Berahino (already an established Under 21 international) is now being linked with a move to a bigger club, and is talked about as a future England striker. And just like current national team forwards Daniel Sturridge and Wayne Rooney, Berahino is very open about his Christian faith.
Evidence of that is all over his Twitter account - on which he signs off almost every message with the hashtag #GodisGood:
...makes frequent references to his faith:
...retweets Christian messages from other sources:
...and posts Bible verses (sometimes to the confusion of West Brom fans):
He's also very clear about what he believes, and what that means:
and he never forgets to credit God for his success:
Of course he'll make a few mistakes, both on and off the pitch, but there's no doubt that Berahino is a man committed to his faith, who seems quite prepared to weather any abuse that might come his way from the terraces as a result. As a role model, he's a refreshing antidote to the caricatured modern footballer (see his Twitter feed for just how much he loves his mum), and there's just a chance that he might develop into a hero for millions of disappointed England fans, praying for a better future for their team.
Martin Saunders is the football-obsessed Deputy CEO of Youthscape. Follow him on Twitter @martinsaunders
