Saido Berahino was suspended after failing a drugs test in September, Sportsmail can reveal.

Stoke have today confirmed that they signed him despite knowing the controversial England Under 21 striker tested positive for a recreational drug in an out-of-competition test and was suspended for eight weeks.

The suspension ended before he completed his £12million move from West Bromwich Albion last month.

Saido Berahino made his Stoke debut against Everton on Wednesday after joining for £12m

The England Under 21 international joined Stoke from West Bromwich Albion last month

BERAHINO'S CAREER 2010–2017: West Bromwich Albion 2011–2012: Northampton Town (loan) 2012: Brentford (loan) 8 (4) 2012: Peterborough United (loan) 2017– Stoke City 2013–2015: England U21 11 (10) Advertisement

Stoke, the FA and Berahino's agent declined to comment when contacted by Sportsmail on Thursday, with a spokesman for Stoke simply requesting that this newspaper contact the governing body.

However, at Friday morning's press conference, Stoke boss Mark Hughes said: 'We're aware of it clearly. It was an FA disciplinary matter.

'Saido had an eight-week suspension, I don't think it was three months. We were aware of it.

'We did our due diligence as with all players, but it didn't change our thinking of what we wanted to do.

'We've got him in the building now, and he's looking forward to the game tomorrow. We'll play him, why wouldn't we?

'You'd probably have to refer this back to West Brom. We're not in a position to give much more detail.'

Speaking at his own press conference on Friday morning, West Brom boss Tony Pulis said: 'He served a ban when he was here at West Brom. I don't want to comment on the reason why. Saido never played for me, or didn't play regularly for me, because he was not fit enough for whatever reason.

'As far as I'm concerned, when he went two weeks ago, Stoke City were aware (of the ban). This club has been open and honest with everything they have done with Saido.

His last First-team game for West Brom was at Bournemouth on September 10, 2016

'What has gone has gone, people make mistakes and I'm not going to condone anyone who has made mistakes, certainly not Saido. The reason Saido didn't play for me was because he was not fit enough.

'This football club was absolutely fantastic towards Saido, in lots of ways, not just over that short period. Ever since I have been at this club, they have looked after their players and Saido more than most has really been looked after.

'Saido is no longer a West Brom player, he's with a former club of mine who I have tremendous respect for. I think it's much better they deal with this situation from where they are, having just signed him. It was a personal matter and we're under strict obligations not to release any of that information. That's an FA directive.'

The forward watches from stands at The Hawthorns in October last year

Berahino's last first-team appearance for West Brom was away to Bournemouth on September 10, 2016 and there was a three-month gap between consecutive appearances for the under-23 side.

He played a game against Stoke's under-23s on September 20 and did not represent West Brom's junior side again until December 12.

Sportsmail believes Berahino claimed there were extenuating circumstances around the positive test and Stoke were made aware of the situation prior to the 23-year-old completing his move to Stoke. The transfer was seen as a bargain buy for manager Mark Hughes — it was only in 2015 that West Brom wanted Tottenham to pay nearer £25m.

West Brom boss Tony Pulis told one newspaper that Berahino was struggling with his weight

During his absence from the West Brom first team, manager Tony Pulis told one newspaper that Berahino was struggling with his weight, although in the wake of the transfer on January 20 Pulis did say Berahino needed 'to get his act together'.

Berahino, who at one stage during his suspension attended what was said to be a fitness camp in France, admitted he had 'lost his way' at West Brom. A positive test for a recreational drug out of competition is not regarded as a breach of the World Anti-Doping Agency Code.

But the FA doping regulations go further than WADA in testing for recreational drugs such as cocaine and cannabis out of competition and it does normally lead to the player being suspended.

The 23-year-old forward shows off his athletic physique in a picture captioned 'fat boy'

The FA consider it worthy of punishment out of fear for a player's health and the damage it could do to the image of the English game.

At the same time, however, the FA has a policy of not naming the players who commit such an offence, with offenders instead offered 'rehabilitation, to allow them to return clean without being stigmatised for an offence that arose outside of the WADA requirements'.

BERAHINO'S STATS Appearances: 106 Starts: 63 Goals: 23 Shooting accuracy: 48.57 Assists: 2 Yellow cards: 3 Red cards: 0 Premier League stats only since Berahino made first top-flight appearance in 2013 Advertisement

The FA have defended their stance in the past, saying: 'The FA prohibit all the doping offences listed in the World Anti-Doping Agency code and apply the sanctions laid down in the code for those offences.

'In addition, the FA, supported by all the football stakeholders, recognise the issues that social drugs may cause and choose to go beyond the WADA code by proactively testing all samples for social drugs, irrespective of whether the tests are conducted in or out of competition.

'Any player who tests positive for a social drug out of competition is charged and subject to a sanction which ordinarily includes a suspension from all football activity for a period of up to six months for a first-time offence.

'They are also subject to target testing for a period of two years. The FA do not report the name of the player as this offence is not a WADA code offence and privacy allows for the player to undergo any necessary rehabilitation and counselling.'

Berahino took to Twitter to express his frustration after seeing West Brom exit collapse in 2015

Berahino was once tipped to become an England regular and was even handed a squad call-up by Roy Hodgson in November 2014. But his burgeoning career has ground to halt following a tumultuous period. In 2014 he was photographed inhaling the potentially fatal legal high nitrous oxide, known as 'hippy crack'.

In January 2015 he was banned from driving after admitting a drink-driving charge.

His dream move to Tottenham collapsed during the 2015 summer transfer window as West Brom demanded a higher offer. Berahino blamed West Brom chairman Jeremy Peace for the collapse of the deal, publicly criticising the club supremo on Twitter.

His career has stuttered ever since, scoring just seven goals since the Spurs deal fell through.

Berahino continued to work on his fitness despite being out of the first team at West Brom

Stoke were made aware of the situation prior to the 23-year-old joining Mark Hughes's side

Berahino came on as a second-half substitute against Everton to make his Stoke City debut

Two months ago he made a statement on West Brom's official website, saying: 'This last year has been the most difficult of my career and it has left me short of the form and fitness required for the Premier League.

'I have never been a player who lacked confidence or a belief in himself but that has been where I have found myself and it has hit me hard. It has left me feeling depressed and struggling for focus which has made it even more difficult to regain full fitness. I want to thank the club for their support throughout what has been a period of turmoil for me.'

After his move to Stoke Berahino claimed: 'I'm not a trouble-maker. Yes, as a young lad I made stupid mistakes and got caught in the papers a few times but I'm not somebody that would want to harm anyone.

'My mum never brought me up that way. So for me to read 'he's a bad boy and a bad egg' is really hard to take because I've never had bad press like that before.'

Berahino pictured playing for England Under 21s with Harry Kane (left) and Nathan Redmond