Dwight Gayle facts for kids
Gayle playing for Newcastle United in 2017
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Dwight Devon Boyd Gayle | ||
| Date of birth | 17 October 1989 | ||
| Place of birth | Walthamstow, London, England | ||
| Height | 5 feet 9 inches (1.74 m) | ||
| Playing position | Striker | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | Hibernian | ||
| Number | 34 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Ridgeway Rovers | |||
| Arsenal | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 2007–2009 | Ryan | ||
| 2009–2011 | Stansted | 14 | (6) |
| 2011–2013 | Dagenham & Redbridge | 18 | (7) |
| 2011–2012 | → Bishop's Stortford (loan) | 42 | (29) |
| 2012–2013 | → Peterborough United (loan) | 9 | (7) |
| 2013 | Peterborough United | 20 | (6) |
| 2013–2016 | Crystal Palace | 64 | (15) |
| 2016–2022 | Newcastle United | 113 | (34) |
| 2018–2019 | → West Bromwich Albion (loan) | 39 | (23) |
| 2022–2024 | Stoke City | 45 | (3) |
| 2024 | Derby County | 6 | (3) |
| 2024– | Hibernian | 10 | (3) |
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Dwight Devon Boyd Gayle (born 17 October 1989) is an English professional footballer. He plays as a striker for the Scottish Premiership club Hibernian.
Gayle started his football journey in the Arsenal youth academy. After leaving Arsenal, he worked his way up through different leagues. He played for clubs like Stansted, Bishop's Stortford, Dagenham & Redbridge, and Peterborough United. Later, he became well-known in the Premier League with Crystal Palace. In 2016, he joined Newcastle United and scored 34 goals in 122 games over six years. He then played for Stoke City and Derby County before joining Hibernian in September 2024.
Contents
Dwight Gayle's Football Journey
Starting His Career
Dwight Gayle was born in Walthamstow, London. He went to Chingford Foundation School. He began playing football with a youth club called Ridgeway Rovers. He also spent some time at the Arsenal academy. However, he left Arsenal at age 12 because he was considered too short.
After leaving Arsenal, Dwight focused on his education. He studied carpentry and later got a job fixing up offices. But he kept playing football! He played semi-professional football for Ryan in the Essex Olympian Football League. In 2009, he moved to Essex Senior League club Stansted. There, he scored an amazing 57 goals in the 2010–11 season.
Playing for Dagenham & Redbridge
In the summer of 2011, Dwight signed with League Two club Dagenham & Redbridge. In August 2011, he was loaned out to Bishop's Stortford for a whole season. During this loan, he scored 29 goals in 42 games.
He then signed a three-year professional contract with Dagenham & Redbridge in July 2012. He played his first professional game for them on August 18, 2012. It was a 2–0 loss to Cheltenham Town.
Time at Peterborough United
In November 2012, Gayle joined Peterborough United on a loan deal. The plan was to make the move permanent in January 2013. People described him as an "energetic, hardworking, fast striker" who was a "natural finisher."
He made his debut for Peterborough on November 24, coming on as a substitute. His first goal for Peterborough came on December 1. He scored after a mistake by a Blackpool player. Peterborough's manager, Darren Ferguson, said Dwight "listens" and "picks up things quickly."
On December 24, after scoring five goals in six loan matches, Dwight agreed to join Peterborough permanently. He signed a four-and-a-half-year contract on January 2, 2013. The transfer fee was £500,000, which could go up to £750,000. On March 2, he scored three goals in one game (a hat-trick) against Blackburn Rovers. Peterborough won that game 3–2.
Moving to Crystal Palace
On July 3, 2013, Dwight Gayle signed a four-year contract with Crystal Palace. This club had just been promoted to the Premier League. The transfer fee was reported to be a club record of £4.5 million. His old club, Dagenham & Redbridge, received £1 million from this transfer.
He played his first game for Palace on August 18 against Tottenham Hotspur. On August 31, he scored his first goal for the club and his first in the Premier League. It was a penalty kick against Sunderland. He also scored against Liverpool at Anfield on October 5. On December 26, he scored the only goal in a 1–0 win against Aston Villa.
Due to injuries, he didn't play as much as he wanted that season. But he came back strong at the end of the season. He scored two goals as Palace came back from being 3–0 down to draw 3–3 with Liverpool. This result greatly affected Liverpool's chances of winning the league title.
On August 26, 2014, Dwight scored his first hat-trick for Crystal Palace. He scored three goals in the first half against Walsall in the League Cup. Four days later, he scored his first goal of the Premier League season against Newcastle United. On November 23, he scored against Liverpool again, helping Palace win 3–1.
In 2015, he scored in the FA Cup against Dover Athletic. He then scored three goals in the next two matches against Tottenham Hotspur and Burnley. Dwight finished the season as Crystal Palace's top scorer in all competitions. This was impressive, as he often struggled to get a regular starting spot.
In August 2015, Bristol City tried to sign Gayle, but the transfer didn't happen. He continued to face injuries, which limited his playing time. On April 12, 2016, he signed a new contract with Crystal Palace until 2019. On May 7, 2016, he scored two goals against Stoke City. This win helped Crystal Palace stay in the Premier League. For the third season in a row, Dwight was Crystal Palace's top scorer, even though he wasn't always in the starting team.
Joining Newcastle United
On July 1, 2016, Dwight Gayle signed a five-year contract with Newcastle United. The club had just been relegated to the Championship. He played his first game for Newcastle on August 5. He scored his first goal for the club on August 13 against Huddersfield Town. He scored again in the next two matches, including two goals against Reading.
Over a month later, he scored three goals (a hat-trick) against Norwich City. Newcastle came back from 3–1 down to win 4–3 in extra time. In October, he scored two goals in wins against Brentford and Barnsley. On November 20, he scored two more goals against Leeds United. On December 10, he scored another hat-trick against Birmingham City. He ended 2016 as the league's top scorer with 19 goals.
On January 14, 2017, Gayle scored his 20th league goal of the season against Brentford. This made him the first Newcastle player since Alan Shearer to reach this milestone. However, he got a hamstring injury during that game, which kept him out for four matches. This injury became a recurring problem for him. He had to leave games early several times. His goal scoring slowed down, but he still scored against Huddersfield Town and Wigan Athletic. Gayle missed the rest of April. He returned on the last day of the season, scoring in a 3–0 win over Barnsley. Newcastle won the Championship title that season.
On November 18, 2017, Gayle scored the first goal in a 4–1 loss to Manchester United. On December 2, he scored the opening goal again, this time in a 3–1 loss to Chelsea. On December 9, he helped Newcastle score two goals against Leicester City. In the second half of the season, he played regularly but only scored three more goals. These included two goals against AFC Bournemouth and one against Chelsea.
Loan to West Bromwich Albion
On August 6, 2018, Gayle joined West Bromwich Albion on a season-long loan. On August 11, he helped his team get a penalty against Norwich City. On August 18, he scored his first goal for West Brom in a big 7–1 win over Queens Park Rangers. He also helped his team get two more penalties in that game.
In September, Gayle scored four goals in three home wins against Stoke City, Bristol City, and Millwall. On September 29, he scored a free-kick goal against Preston North End. Because of his great performances, he was named the EFL Championship Player of the Month. On October 6, he scored two goals against Reading.
On February 14, 2019, Gayle was suspended for two matches. This was because he was found to have "deceived a match official" in a game against Nottingham Forest. He finished the regular season with 23 goals, making him one of the top scorers in the Championship. He scored two hat-tricks that season. West Brom finished fourth, setting up a playoff game against Aston Villa. In the first game, Gayle scored but was later sent off. This was his last game for West Brom. He was named the club's Supporter's Player of the Season. His first goal against Stoke City was also named the club's Goal of the Season.
Back at Newcastle
Gayle got a calf injury during Newcastle's pre-season tour in China. This meant he missed the first eight games of the 2019–20 season. He returned to the team against Manchester United and played his first game of the season against Chelsea. On January 11, 2020, he helped set up a goal against Wolverhampton Wanderers. However, he had to leave the game early due to a thigh injury. This injury kept him out for six weeks.
The COVID-19 pandemic caused the Premier League to stop and then restart without fans. During this time, Gayle played in eight matches, scoring four goals and assisting one. Newcastle finished the season in thirteenth place.
On August 26, 2020, Gayle suffered a knee injury in a friendly game. He missed the first thirteen games of the 2020–21 season. He scored on his return against his old club West Bromwich Albion. This was his only goal that season. On April 24, 2021, he helped set up a last-minute goal against Liverpool. On July 7, he signed a new contract with Newcastle.
Playing for Stoke City
On July 22, 2022, Gayle joined Stoke City on a two-year contract. The manager, Alex Neil, played him in a deeper midfield role. He scored his first goal for Stoke in a 4–0 win over Reading on January 21, 2023. This was his first goal in over two years. Gayle scored twice in a 5–1 win against Sunderland on March 4, 2023. He finished the 2022–23 season with 37 appearances. Stoke finished in 16th place. His contract with Stoke was ended on February 1, 2024.
Time at Derby County
On February 16, 2024, Gayle agreed to join League One club Derby County until the end of the 2023–24 season. The league confirmed his contract three days later.
Gayle made his debut as a substitute in a 2–1 loss to Barnsley. He scored his first goal for Derby in a 3–0 win against Port Vale on March 8. This was his first goal ever in the third tier of English football. This meant he had scored in all four top tiers of the English football league system. After the game, Derby's coach, Paul Warne, said Gayle was a "threat" even though he hadn't played regularly. He also praised the "boost" Gayle gave the team.
Gayle continued his scoring streak. He scored in a 3–0 win at Bristol Rovers. Then he scored the first goal and helped win a penalty in a 2–1 home win over Reading. This was the first time he had scored in consecutive games since April 2019. Gayle said this "dream come true" form helped him love football again. He got a hamstring injury on March 16, 2024, against Bolton Wanderers. This injury kept him out for three weeks. He didn't play any more games for Derby. He made six appearances and scored three goals. Derby secured promotion to the Championship that season.
On May 18, 2024, it was announced that Gayle would leave Derby when his contract ended on June 30, 2024.
Joining Hibernian
On September 12, 2024, Dwight Gayle joined Scottish Premiership club Hibernian on a one-year contract. He scored the winning goal in the Edinburgh Derby on December 26, 2024.
About Dwight Gayle's Life
Dwight Gayle's father is from Jamaica, so Dwight has Jamaican heritage. He is married to Stefanie, and they have three children. They got married in Portugal in 2024.
Career Statistics
| Club | Season | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Dagenham & Redbridge | 2011–12 | League Two | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2012–13 | League Two | 18 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 20 | 7 | |
| Total | 18 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 20 | 7 | ||
| Bishop's Stortford (loan) | 2011–12 | Conference North | 42 | 29 | 3 | 1 | — | 10 | 12 | 55 | 42 | |
| Peterborough United | 2012–13 | Championship | 29 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 29 | 13 | |
| Crystal Palace | 2013–14 | Premier League | 23 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | 25 | 8 | |
| 2014–15 | Premier League | 25 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 4 | — | 29 | 10 | ||
| 2015–16 | Premier League | 16 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 4 | — | 20 | 7 | ||
| Total | 64 | 15 | 5 | 2 | 5 | 8 | — | 74 | 25 | |||
| Newcastle United | 2016–17 | Championship | 32 | 23 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 34 | 23 | |
| 2017–18 | Premier League | 35 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 37 | 6 | ||
| 2018–19 | Premier League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2019–20 | Premier League | 20 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 22 | 4 | ||
| 2020–21 | Premier League | 18 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 20 | 1 | ||
| 2021–22 | Premier League | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 9 | 0 | ||
| Total | 113 | 34 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 0 | — | 122 | 34 | |||
| West Bromwich Albion (loan) | 2018–19 | Championship | 39 | 23 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 41 | 24 |
| Stoke City | 2022–23 | Championship | 35 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 37 | 3 | |
| 2023–24 | Championship | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | 13 | 0 | ||
| Total | 45 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | — | 50 | 3 | |||
| Derby County | 2023–24 | League One | 6 | 3 | — | — | — | 6 | 3 | |||
| Hibernian | 2024–25 | Scottish Premiership | 10 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 10 | 3 | |
| Career total | 364 | 119 | 14 | 3 | 14 | 8 | 12 | 13 | 404 | 152 | ||
Awards and Achievements
Here are some of the awards and achievements Dwight Gayle has earned:
Stansted
- Essex Senior League: 2009–10
Bishop's Stortford
- Herts Senior Cup: 2011–12
Crystal Palace
- FA Cup runner-up: 2015–16
Newcastle United
- EFL Championship: 2016–17
Derby County
- EFL League One second-place promotion: 2023–24
Individual Awards
- Football League / EFL Championship Player of the Month: December 2012, September 2018, April 2019
- Crystal Palace 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: 2016–17 Championship
- PFA Fans' Player of the Year: 2016–17 Championship
- West Bromwich Albion Supporters' Player of the Season: 2018–19
- West Bromwich Albion Goal of the Season: 2018–19
See also
In Spanish: Dwight Gayle para niños
