Dwight Gayle
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Dwight Devon Boyd Gayle (born 17 October 1989) is an English professional
footballer A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby le ...
who plays as a striker for
EFL Championship The English Football League Championship (often referred to as the Championship for short or the Sky Bet Championship for sponsorship purposes) is the highest division of the English Football League (EFL) and second-highest overall in the E ...
club
Stoke City Stoke City Football Club is a professional football club based in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England, which competes in the . Founded as Stoke Ramblers in 1863, it changed its name to Stoke in 1878 and then to Stoke City in 1925 after Stoke ...
. Gayle played in the
Arsenal academy The Arsenal Academy was a military academy in Columbia, South Carolina, originally established in 1842 as an independent school by the state of South Carolina. In 1845, the academy became a component of the South Carolina Military Academy (now Th ...
as a youth, but was released in 2007, after which he began his career with Ryan of the
Essex Olympian Football League The Essex Olympian Football League is a football competition based in England, founded in the 1966–67 season. It has a total of six senior divisions and one under 21 division. The Premier Division sits at step 7 (or level 11) of the National ...
. In subsequent seasons, he would work his way back up through the
English football pyramid The English football league system, also known as the football pyramid, is a series of interconnected leagues for men's association football clubs in England, with five teams from Wales, one from Guernsey, one from Jersey and one from the Isl ...
via stints at
Stansted London Stansted Airport is a tertiary international airport serving London, England, United Kingdom. It is located near Stansted Mountfitchet, Essex, England, northeast of Central London. London Stansted serves over 160 destinations acros ...
,
Bishop's Stortford Bishop's Stortford is a historic market town in Hertfordshire, England, just west of the M11 motorway on the county boundary with Essex, north-east of central London, and by rail from Liverpool Street station. Stortford had an estimated po ...
,
Dagenham & Redbridge Dagenham & Redbridge Football Club is a professional association football club based in Dagenham, Greater London, England. The team competes in the National League, the fifth tier of the English football league system. Often known simply as Dag ...
and
Peterborough United Peterborough United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, England. The team compete in League One, the third tier of the English football league system. Peterborough have a long-standing ...
, before establishing himself in the Premier League with
Crystal Palace Crystal Palace may refer to: Places Canada * Crystal Palace Complex (Dieppe), a former amusement park now a shopping complex in Dieppe, New Brunswick * Crystal Palace Barracks, London, Ontario * Crystal Palace (Montreal), an exhibition building ...
. In 2016, he signed for Newcastle United Where he spent six years scoring 34 goals in 122 games. Gayle joined
Stoke City Stoke City Football Club is a professional football club based in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England, which competes in the . Founded as Stoke Ramblers in 1863, it changed its name to Stoke in 1878 and then to Stoke City in 1925 after Stoke ...
in July 2022.


Career


Early career

Gayle was born in
Walthamstow Walthamstow ( or ) is a large town in East London, east London, England, within the Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county of Greater London and the Historic counties of England, ancient county of Essex. Situated northeast of Chari ...
, London and attended
Chingford Foundation School Chingford Foundation School is a coeducational state secondary school and sixth form located in Chingford in the London Borough of Waltham Forest. It is a specialist Humanities College and has been an academy since October 2012. History Chingfo ...
. He started his career with youth club Ridgeway Rovers and spent time with the
Arsenal academy The Arsenal Academy was a military academy in Columbia, South Carolina, originally established in 1842 as an independent school by the state of South Carolina. In 1845, the academy became a component of the South Carolina Military Academy (now Th ...
but was released at the age of 12 due to his height. After leaving Arsenal, Gayle concentrated on his education taking courses in carpentry and later got a job refurbishing offices. He played semi-professional football in the
Essex Olympian Football League The Essex Olympian Football League is a football competition based in England, founded in the 1966–67 season. It has a total of six senior divisions and one under 21 division. The Premier Division sits at step 7 (or level 11) of the National ...
with Ryan, before moving up to join
Essex Senior League The Essex Senior Football League is an English men's football league. It contains clubs from the Essex FA, Hertfordshire FA, London FA, Middlesex FA and the Amateur Football Alliance. It is a feeder league to Division One North of the Isthm ...
club
Stansted London Stansted Airport is a tertiary international airport serving London, England, United Kingdom. It is located near Stansted Mountfitchet, Essex, England, northeast of Central London. London Stansted serves over 160 destinations acros ...
in 2009, where he went on to score 57 goals in the 2010–11 season.


Dagenham & Redbridge

In the summer of 2011, he signed for
League Two The English Football League Two (often referred to as League Two for short or Sky Bet League Two for sponsorship purposes, and known as the Football League Two from 2004 until 2016) is the third and lowest division of the English Football Lea ...
club
Dagenham & Redbridge Dagenham & Redbridge Football Club is a professional association football club based in Dagenham, Greater London, England. The team competes in the National League, the fifth tier of the English football league system. Often known simply as Dag ...
. In August 2011, he was sent out to
Bishop's Stortford Bishop's Stortford is a historic market town in Hertfordshire, England, just west of the M11 motorway on the county boundary with Essex, north-east of central London, and by rail from Liverpool Street station. Stortford had an estimated po ...
on a season-long
loan In finance, a loan is the lending of money by one or more individuals, organizations, or other entities to other individuals, organizations, etc. The recipient (i.e., the borrower) incurs a debt and is usually liable to pay interest on that d ...
, during which he scored 29 goals in 42 appearances in the
Conference North The National League North, formerly Conference North, is a division of the National League in England, immediately below the National League division. Along with the National League South, it is at the second level of the National League Sy ...
. He then signed a three-year professional contract with Dagenham & Redbridge in July 2012. He made his professional debut for the Daggers on 18 August 2012, in a 2–0 defeat to
Cheltenham Town Cheltenham Town Football Club is a professional association football club based in the town of Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England. From the 2021–22 season, the club compete in League One, the third tier of the English football league syst ...
.


Peterborough United

In November 2012, Gayle joined
Peterborough United Peterborough United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, England. The team compete in League One, the third tier of the English football league system. Peterborough have a long-standing ...
on loan with an option to make the move permanent in January 2013. At the time of his signing, he was described as an "energetic, hardworking, pacey striker" and a "natural finisher". His Peterborough debut came on 24 November as a 53rd-minute substitute for
Saido Berahino Saido Berahino (born 4 August 1993) is a Burundian professional footballer who plays as a striker for Cypriot First Division club AEL Limassol and captains the Burundi national team. Having fled his native Burundi as a child, he received pol ...
in a 1–1 away draw with
Ipswich Town Ipswich Town Football Club is a professional association football club based in Ipswich, Suffolk, England. They play in League One, the third tier of the English football league system. The club was founded in 1878 but did not turn profession ...
. Gayle's first Peterborough goal was on 1 December: he picked up a poor backpass by
Blackpool Blackpool is a seaside resort in Lancashire, England. Located on the North West England, northwest coast of England, it is the main settlement within the Borough of Blackpool, borough also called Blackpool. The town is by the Irish Sea, betw ...
's
Alex Baptiste Alexander Aaron John Baptiste (born 31 January 1986) is an English professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for League of Ireland First Division side Waterford. Club career Mansfield Town Born in Sutton-in-Ashfield, Nottinghamshire ...
to score what was only a consolation goal in a 4–1 home defeat. Peterborough manager
Darren Ferguson Darren Ferguson (born 9 February 1972) is a Scottish professional football manager and former player, who was most recently the manager of Championship club Peterborough United. In between his stints with Peterborough, he also managed Preston N ...
said of Gayle: "He listens. He picks up things quickly, which is always a sign of a good player." On 24 December, after scoring five goals in six matches during his loan spell, Gayle agreed to sign permanently for Peterborough. He joined on 2 January 2013 on a four-and-a-half-year contract for a fee of £500,000 which could rise to £750,000. On 2 March, he scored a hat-trick in a 3–2 win against
Blackburn Rovers Blackburn Rovers Football Club is a professional football club, based in Blackburn, Lancashire, England, which competes in the , the second tier of the English football league system. They have played home matches at Ewood Park since 1890. T ...
.


Crystal Palace

On 3 July 2013, Gayle signed a four-year contract for newly promoted Premier League club
Crystal Palace Crystal Palace may refer to: Places Canada * Crystal Palace Complex (Dieppe), a former amusement park now a shopping complex in Dieppe, New Brunswick * Crystal Palace Barracks, London, Ontario * Crystal Palace (Montreal), an exhibition building ...
for an undisclosed fee, reported as a club record £4.5 million. His former club Dagenham & Redbridge received £1 million of the initial transfer fee plus 20% of any extra payments made due to a sell-on clause added when he signed for Peterborough United. He made his Palace debut playing 90 minutes in a home match against
Tottenham Hotspur Tottenham Hotspur Football Club, commonly referred to as Tottenham () or Spurs, is a professional association football, football club based in Tottenham, London, England. It competes in the Premier League, the top flight of English footba ...
on 18 August in a 1–0 loss. On 31 August, Gayle scored his first goal for the club and his first in the Premier League by successfully converting a penalty against
Sunderland Sunderland () is a port city in Tyne and Wear, England. It is the City of Sunderland's administrative centre and in the Historic counties of England, historic county of County of Durham, Durham. The city is from Newcastle-upon-Tyne and is on t ...
after he was fouled by
John O'Shea John Francis O'Shea (; born 30 April 1981) is an Irish professional football coach and former player. He was known for his versatility in playing several positions on either side of the pitch or the centre. Born in Waterford, O'Shea joined Man ...
. On 5 October, he scored in a 3–1 defeat against
Liverpool Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a popul ...
at
Anfield Anfield is a football stadium in Anfield, Liverpool, Merseyside, England, which has a seating capacity of 53,394, making it the seventh largest football stadium in England. It has been the home of Liverpool F.C. since their formation in 1892. ...
. On 26 December, he scored the only goal in a 1–0 away win against
Aston Villa Aston Villa Football Club is a professional football club based in Aston, Birmingham, England. The club competes in the , the top tier of the English football league system. Founded in 1874, they have played at their home ground, Villa Park ...
in added time at the end of the match. In part due to injury, he found first team appearance opportunities limited for the remainder of the season. He returned towards the end of the season scoring two goals as Palace came back from 3–0 down to draw 3–3 at home to Liverpool, which effectively ended their chances of the league title. On 26 August 2014, Gayle scored his first hat-trick for Crystal Palace, scoring three times in the first half to give Palace a 3–0 win over
Walsall Walsall (, or ; locally ) is a market town and administrative centre in the West Midlands (county), West Midlands County, England. Historic counties of England, Historically part of Staffordshire, it is located north-west of Birmingham, east ...
in the second round of the
League Cup In several sports, most prominently association football, a league cup or secondary cup generally signifies a cup competition for which entry is restricted only to teams in a particular league. The first national association football tournament t ...
. Four days later, he scored his first goal of the Premier League season in the opening minute of a 3–3 draw at
Newcastle United Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Newcastle upon Tyne, that plays in the Premier League – the top flight of English football. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End ...
. On 23 November, Gayle scored in the home fixture against Liverpool for the second consecutive season as Palace defeated the Merseyside team 3–1. On 4 January, Gayle scored his first goal of 2015 in a 4–0 win over
Dover Athletic Dover Athletic Football Club is a semi-professional association football club based in the town of Dover, Kent, England. The club currently competes in the National League South, the sixth tier of English football. The club was formed in 198 ...
in the third round of the
FA Cup The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual knockout football competition in men's domestic English football. First played during the 1871–72 season, it is the oldest national football competi ...
. He then scored three goals in the team's next two matches; a 2–1 home win over Tottenham Hotspur and a 3–2 defeat of
Burnley Burnley () is a town and the administrative centre of the wider Borough of Burnley in Lancashire, England, with a 2001 population of 73,021. It is north of Manchester and east of Preston, at the confluence of the River Calder and River Bru ...
at
Turf Moor Turf Moor is an association football stadium in Burnley, Lancashire, England, which has been the home of Burnley F.C. since 1883. This unbroken service makes Turf Moor the second-longest continuously used ground in English professional football ...
. Gayle ended the season as top scorer in all competitions for Crystal Palace, despite, like the season before, struggling to hold down a consistent place in the starting eleven. On 11 August 2015,
Bristol City Bristol City Football Club is a professional football club based in Bristol, England, which compete in the , the second tier of English football. They have played their home games at Ashton Gate since moving from St John's Lane in 1904. The ...
manager
Steve Cotterill Stephen John Cotterill (born 20 July 1964) is an English former footballer who played as a striker. He is currently the manager of side Shrewsbury Town. Cotterill had a nine-year career as a footballer playing for Burton Albion, Wimbledon, ...
confirmed that Crystal Palace had accepted an undisclosed bid for Gayle. On 15 August, the transfer broke down as it was confirmed that Bristol City were no longer interested in signing Gayle. Gayle failed to hold down a regular first-team place, due to a series of injuries throughout the season. On 12 April 2016, Gayle signed a contract with Crystal Palace to keep him at the club until 2019. On 7 May 2016, the penultimate match of the season, Gayle scored two goals in a 2–1 victory over
Stoke City Stoke City Football Club is a professional football club based in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England, which competes in the . Founded as Stoke Ramblers in 1863, it changed its name to Stoke in 1878 and then to Stoke City in 1925 after Stoke ...
to confirm Crystal Palace's safety in the Premier League. For the third season in a row Gayle, despite being unable to hold down a consistent place in the team, finished the season as top scorer in all competitions for Crystal Palace.


Newcastle United

On 1 July 2016, Gayle signed a five-year contract for newly relegated
Championship In sport, a championship is a competition in which the aim is to decide which individual or team is the champion. Championship systems Various forms of competition can be referred to by the term championship. Title match system In this system ...
club Newcastle United. He made his debut for the club on 5 August, in a 1–0 defeat to
Fulham Fulham () is an area of the London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham in West London, England, southwest of Charing Cross. It lies on the north bank of the River Thames, bordering Hammersmith, Kensington and Chelsea. The area faces Wandsworth ...
. He scored his first goal for the club on 13 August, in a 2–1 defeat to
Huddersfield Town Huddersfield Town Association Football Club is a professional football club based in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, England, which compete in the . The team have played home games at the Kirklees Stadium since moving from Leeds Road in 1994. The ...
. After having his spot kick saved, he scored from the rebound with his head. Gayle would score in the next two matches for Newcastle, with a brace in a 4–1 win over
Reading Reading is the process of taking in the sense or meaning of Letter (alphabet), letters, symbols, etc., especially by Visual perception, sight or Somatosensory system, touch. For educators and researchers, reading is a multifaceted process invo ...
, and the only goal of the game against
Bristol City Bristol City Football Club is a professional football club based in Bristol, England, which compete in the , the second tier of English football. They have played their home games at Ashton Gate since moving from St John's Lane in 1904. The ...
. It was not until over a month later when he found the net again, scoring a hat-trick against
Norwich City Norwich City Football Club (also known as The Canaries or The Yellows) is an English professional football club based in Norwich, Norfolk. The club competes in the EFL Championship following their relegation from the Premier League in the 20 ...
, coming back from 3–1 down to win 4–3 in stoppage time. During October, Gayle scored braces in consecutive victories against
Brentford Brentford is a suburban town in West London, England and part of the London Borough of Hounslow. It lies at the confluence of the River Brent and the Thames, west of Charing Cross. Its economy has diverse company headquarters buildings whi ...
and
Barnsley Barnsley () is a market town in South Yorkshire, England. As the main settlement of the Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley and the fourth largest settlement in South Yorkshire. In Barnsley, the population was 96,888 while the wider Borough has ...
, and on 20 November, Gayle scored another brace, this time against
Leeds United Leeds United Football Club is a professional football club based in Leeds, West Yorkshire in England. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of England's football league system, and plays its home matches at Elland Road S ...
. On 10 December, Gayle scored a hat-trick against
Birmingham City Birmingham City Football Club is a professional football club based in Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, it was renamed Small Heath in 1888, Birmingham in 1905, and Birmingham City in 1943. Since 2011, the first te ...
. He would later score in matches against
Burton Albion Burton Albion Football Club is a professional association football club in the town of Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire, England. The team compete in League One, the third tier of the English football league system. The club moved its home groun ...
and
Nottingham Forest Nottingham Forest Football Club is an association football club based in West Bridgford, Nottinghamshire, England. Nottingham Forest was founded in 1865 and have been playing their home games at the City Ground, on the banks of the River Tren ...
, ending 2016 as the league's top scorer with 19 goals. On 14 January 2017, Gayle scored the opening goal in an eventual 2–1 win over Brentford, and in doing so, became the first Newcastle player since
Alan Shearer Alan Shearer CBE DL (born 13 August 1970) is an English football pundit and retired football player and manager who played as a striker. Widely regarded as one of the best strikers of his generation and one of the greatest players in Premie ...
to score 20 league goals in a season. A few minutes later however, he sustained a hamstring injury, and had to be substituted off. This injury kept him out for the next four matches; he would make his return against Norwich City, and started the match against Aston Villa, but once again, had to leave the pitch early. It would become a recurring problem for Gayle, and on three occasions from February to April, he had to be substituted off in the first half. Unsurprisingly, his goal tally also suffered, as he scored twice during this period, netting against Huddersfield Town and
Wigan Athletic Wigan Athletic Football Club () is an English professional association football club based in Wigan, Greater Manchester, England. The team competes in the Championship, the second tier of the English football league system. Founded in 1932, ...
. Gayle was absent for the rest of April, and made his return on the final day of the season, scoring in a 3–0 win over
Barnsley Barnsley () is a market town in South Yorkshire, England. As the main settlement of the Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley and the fourth largest settlement in South Yorkshire. In Barnsley, the population was 96,888 while the wider Borough has ...
, as Newcastle edged out
Brighton & Hove Albion Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club (), commonly referred to simply as Brighton, is an English professional football club based in the city of Brighton and Hove. They compete in the Premier League, the top tier of the English football league ...
by a point to win the
Championship In sport, a championship is a competition in which the aim is to decide which individual or team is the champion. Championship systems Various forms of competition can be referred to by the term championship. Title match system In this system ...
. On 18 November 2017, Gayle scored the opening goal in an eventual 4–1 loss to
Manchester United Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of City of Salford, Salford to ...
. His goal was the first that the ''Red Devils'' had conceded from open play since 31 December 2016. On 2 December, Gayle again scored the opening goal, this time, in a 3–1 loss to
Chelsea Chelsea or Chelsey may refer to: Places Australia * Chelsea, Victoria Canada * Chelsea, Nova Scotia * Chelsea, Quebec United Kingdom * Chelsea, London, an area of London, bounded to the south by the River Thames ** Chelsea (UK Parliament consti ...
. On 9 December, Gayle was involved in both Newcastle goals in a 3–2 loss to
Leicester City Leicester ( ) is a city, unitary authority and the county town of Leicestershire in the East Midlands of England. It is the largest settlement in the East Midlands. The city lies on the River Soar and close to the eastern end of the National ...
, assisting
Joselu José Luis Mato Sanmartín (; born 27 March 1990), known as Joselu (), is a Spanish professional Association football, footballer who plays as a Forward (association football)#Striker, striker for La Liga club RCD Espanyol, Espanyol. Joselu be ...
for the first and then scoring the equaliser. In the second half of the season, Gayle remained a first team regular, but only scored three more goals for Newcastle – a brace against
AFC Bournemouth AFC Bournemouth () is a professional association football club based in Kings Park, Boscombe, a suburb of Bournemouth, Dorset, England. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest division of English club football. Formed in 1899 as B ...
in a 2–2 draw on 24 February 2018, and a goal against Chelsea in a 3–0 win, the final day of the season.


West Bromwich Albion (loan)

On 6 August 2018, Gayle joined newly relegated Championship club
West Bromwich Albion West Bromwich Albion Football Club () is an English professional football club based in West Bromwich, West Midlands, England. They compete in the EFL Championship, the second tier of English football. The club was formed in 1878 and has pla ...
on a season-long loan deal from Newcastle. The deal included
Salomón Rondón José Salomón Rondón Giménez (; born 16 September 1989) is a Venezuelan professional footballer who plays as a striker for the Venezuela national team, and is currently a free agent. After starting out at Aragua, he went on to spend most o ...
going the other way for the 2018–19 season. On 11 August, Gayle drew a foul from his former Newcastle teammate Tim Krul, now of
Norwich City Norwich City Football Club (also known as The Canaries or The Yellows) is an English professional football club based in Norwich, Norfolk. The club competes in the EFL Championship following their relegation from the Premier League in the 20 ...
, with the resulting penalty scored by
Jay Rodriguez Jay Enrique Rodriguez (born 29 July 1989) is an English professional footballer who plays as a forward for club Burnley. Rodriguez began his career with his hometown club Burnley, for whom he scored 41 goals in 128 appearances across all com ...
. On 18 August, Gayle scored his first goal for the club, the fourth goal in an emphatic 7–1 win over
Queens Park Rangers Queens Park Rangers Football Club, commonly abbreviated to QPR, is a professional football club based in Shepherd's Bush, West London, England, which compete in the . After a nomadic early existence, they have played home matches at Loftus Ro ...
. He was also the fouled player for both of Rodriguez's penalties. During September, Gayle scored four times in three consecutive home match wins over
Stoke City Stoke City Football Club is a professional football club based in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England, which competes in the . Founded as Stoke Ramblers in 1863, it changed its name to Stoke in 1878 and then to Stoke City in 1925 after Stoke ...
,
Bristol City Bristol City Football Club is a professional football club based in Bristol, England, which compete in the , the second tier of English football. They have played their home games at Ashton Gate since moving from St John's Lane in 1904. The ...
and
Millwall Millwall is a district on the western and southern side of the Isle of Dogs, in east London, England, in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It lies to the immediate south of Canary Wharf and Limehouse, north of Greenwich and Deptford, east ...
. On 29 September, he scored the third goal, a free-kick, in a 3–2 win over
Preston North End Preston North End Football Club, commonly referred to as Preston, North End or PNE, is a professional football club in Preston, Lancashire, England, who currently play in the EFL Championship, the second tier of the English football league syste ...
. For his performances, he was awarded with the Championship Player of the Month by the EFL. On 6 October, Gayle scored a brace in a 4–1 win over
Reading Reading is the process of taking in the sense or meaning of Letter (alphabet), letters, symbols, etc., especially by Visual perception, sight or Somatosensory system, touch. For educators and researchers, reading is a multifaceted process invo ...
. On 14 February 2019, Gayle was suspended for two matches after accepting a charge of "successful deception of a match official", following an incident in the match against
Nottingham Forest Nottingham Forest Football Club is an association football club based in West Bridgford, Nottinghamshire, England. Nottingham Forest was founded in 1865 and have been playing their home games at the City Ground, on the banks of the River Tren ...
earlier that week when he "won" a late penalty enabling his team to take a 2–2 draw. He finished the regular season with 23 goals as joint fourth place goalscorer in the Championship, including two hat-tricks against Preston and Rotherham. The ''Baggies'' finished the season in fourth place, setting up a derby playoff with
Aston Villa Aston Villa Football Club is a professional football club based in Aston, Birmingham, England. The club competes in the , the top tier of the English football league system. Founded in 1874, they have played at their home ground, Villa Park ...
. In the first leg on May 11, Gayle opened the scoring, but was later sent off after challenging Villa's goalkeeper,
Jed Steer Jed John Steer (born 23 September 1992) is an English professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper. Steer joined Villa from his hometown club Norwich City on 1 July 2013, after beginning his playing career with the Canaries. He has also pl ...
, resulting in a second yellow card. This would turn out to be Gayle's final appearance as a ''Baggies'' player. Gayle ended the season as the club's Supporter's Player of the Season, whilst also picking up the club's Goal of the Season with his first goal in a 2–1 home victory against Stoke City.


Return to Newcastle

Gayle suffered a calf injury during Newcastle's pre-season tour of China, and would go on to miss Newcastle's first eight matches (in all competitions) of the 2019–20 season. He returned to the matchday squad against
Manchester United Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of City of Salford, Salford to ...
, and then made his first appearance of the season against
Chelsea Chelsea or Chelsey may refer to: Places Australia * Chelsea, Victoria Canada * Chelsea, Nova Scotia * Chelsea, Quebec United Kingdom * Chelsea, London, an area of London, bounded to the south by the River Thames ** Chelsea (UK Parliament consti ...
, coming on as a late substitute. On 11 January 2020, Gayle assisted
Miguel Almirón Miguel Ángel Almirón Rejala (born 10 February 1994) is a Paraguayan professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder or winger for Premier League club Newcastle United and the Paraguay national team. Almirón began his career a ...
for the opening goal against
Wolverhampton Wanderers Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club (), commonly known as Wolves, is a professional football club based in Wolverhampton, England, which compete in the . The club has played at Molineux Stadium since moving from Dudley Road in 1889. The club's ...
, but was substituted off in the first half. A thigh injury kept him out for the next six weeks, and he returned to the side in a 1–0 loss to
Crystal Palace Crystal Palace may refer to: Places Canada * Crystal Palace Complex (Dieppe), a former amusement park now a shopping complex in Dieppe, New Brunswick * Crystal Palace Barracks, London, Ontario * Crystal Palace (Montreal), an exhibition building ...
. Due to the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
, the Premier League was suspended and resumed in June behind closed doors. Gayle played in eight matches during this period, scoring four times and assisting once, as Newcastle finished the season in thirteenth place. On 26 August 2020, Gayle suffered a knee injury in a friendly with
York City York City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of York, North Yorkshire, England. As of the 2022–23 season, the team compete in the National League, at the fifth tier of the English football league sys ...
, and would go on to miss Newcastle's first thirteen matches (in all competitions) of the 2020–21 season. He scored on his return against his former club
West Bromwich Albion West Bromwich Albion Football Club () is an English professional football club based in West Bromwich, West Midlands, England. They compete in the EFL Championship, the second tier of English football. The club was formed in 1878 and has pla ...
, but this proved to be his only goal as he found himself in and out of the team throughout the season. The other significant contribution he made was against
Liverpool Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a popul ...
on 24 April 2021, where he provided the assist for
Joe Willock Joseph George Willock (born 20 August 1999) is an English professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Premier League club Newcastle United. Career Arsenal A youth product of Arsenal, Willock joined Arsenal at age four-and-a-half, havi ...
's last-minute equalising goal. On 7 July, Gayle signed a contract extension with Newcastle.


Stoke City

On 22 July 2022, Gayle joined
Stoke City Stoke City Football Club is a professional football club based in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England, which competes in the . Founded as Stoke Ramblers in 1863, it changed its name to Stoke in 1878 and then to Stoke City in 1925 after Stoke ...
on a two-year contract.


Personal life

Gayle is of Jamaican descent through his father. He has two children with his fiancée Stefanie.


Career statistics


Honours

Stansted *
Essex Senior League The Essex Senior Football League is an English men's football league. It contains clubs from the Essex FA, Hertfordshire FA, London FA, Middlesex FA and the Amateur Football Alliance. It is a feeder league to Division One North of the Isthm ...
: 2009–10 Crystal Palace *
FA Cup The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual knockout football competition in men's domestic English football. First played during the 1871–72 season, it is the oldest national football competi ...
runner-up: 2015–16 Newcastle United *
EFL Championship The English Football League Championship (often referred to as the Championship for short or the Sky Bet Championship for sponsorship purposes) is the highest division of the English Football League (EFL) and second-highest overall in the E ...
: 2016–17 Individual *
Crystal Palace Crystal Palace may refer to: Places Canada * Crystal Palace Complex (Dieppe), a former amusement park now a shopping complex in Dieppe, New Brunswick * Crystal Palace Barracks, London, Ontario * Crystal Palace (Montreal), an exhibition building ...
Goal of the Year: 2014 *EFL Championship Goal of the Month: August 2016 * PFA Fans' Player of the Month: October 2016 * EFL Team of the Season: 2016–17 *
PFA Team of the Year The Professional Footballers' Association Team of the Year (often called the PFA Team of the Year, or simply the Team of the Year) is an annual award given to a set of 55 footballers across the top four tiers of men's English football; the Premie ...
: 2016–17 Championship


References


External links


Dwight Gayle profile
at the Newcastle United F.C. website * {{DEFAULTSORT:Gayle, Dwight 1989 births Living people Footballers from Walthamstow English footballers Association football forwards Arsenal F.C. players Stansted F.C. players Dagenham & Redbridge F.C. players Bishop's Stortford F.C. players Peterborough United F.C. players Crystal Palace F.C. players Newcastle United F.C. players West Bromwich Albion F.C. players Stoke City F.C. players Essex Senior Football League players National League (English football) players English Football League players Premier League players FA Cup Final players Black British sportspeople English people of Jamaican descent