Penny has dropped for Saido Berahino

West Brom boss Tony Pulis reckons the penny has finally dropped for Saido Berahino.

The 22-year-old striker has been in training every day of the international break working hard to get back to full fitness.

Pulis said: ""He's definitely got his head down. He's still not near what he was at the back end of last season. but I think the penny's dropped.

"The kid realises and understands, irrespective of what we do as a football club, he's got to be right himself."

Berahino was linked with both Newcastle and Chelsea during the break, but Pulis dismissed those reports as little more than speculation.

He said: "It hasn't surprised me that something's come out about Saido, that's the way it's going to be. We're not going to be able to stop it from now until the end of January."

Berahino has three goals so far this season, but they all came in a run of four games. The striker has blown hot and cold since he failed to force through a move to Spurs in the summer.

Pulis said: "That was a deep cut. He was absolutely convinced that the day would come in that window that he would be leaving this football club and it shook him."

Albion's head coach had a one-on-one with Berahino this week about the necessity of working hard and ignoring rumours of interest from other clubs.

He said: "I get on very well with Saido. He's just coming back now and just starting to realise, there's a big world out there and sometimes you get swallowed up in it.

"He has to get himself right mentally and physically."

But the gaffer reckons last season's top scorer is now nearing a return to his best form, despite waving away questions about Berahino signing a new contract at the club.

He said: "He's a lot closer now than what he was two weeks ago.

"You can talk about contracts to the chairman or to (director of football administration) Richard Garlick and people like that.

"I'm more concerned about the football side. I'm more concerned about the human being, in respect of getting him back on track."