Dwight Gayle spent six years at Newcastle United and has now retired following a season at Hibernian.
Dwight Gayle has confirmed his retirement from professional football following Hibernian’s clash with Rangers.
A former Newcastle United No.9, the 35-year-old called time on an eventful 18-year career. Gayle rose through the lower leagues and joined the Magpies from Crystal Palace in 2016.
Rafa Benitez headhunted the striker as the man to spearhead Newcastle’s charge towards an instant Premier League return. He did exactly that, with Gayle netting 23 times as the Magpies were crowned Championship winners.
Opportunities became limited in the top flight but Gayle remained a Toon player for another five years before joining Stoke City. A stint at Derby County followed before the veteran enjoyed a swansong at Hibs this season.
Career swansong at Hibernian
Six goals as a bit-part player has allowed Gayle to enjoy his football before hanging the boots up. In an emotional statement, the former Newcastle ace announced plans to become an agent.
“I feel like the end of last season was a bit of a stressful time in terms of it being forced upon me," he told the Hibernian website. "I also felt like I perhaps didn't enjoy my football enough to then leave it, to then admire it for what it was.
“Whereas I felt that this season has gone so well and the experiences that I've been able to have, the group that I've been involved with, leaves me all in a happy place and that's all I can ask for, to leave it. And then to have such fond memories, that's why it's almost like a good place to finish.
“I’m going to go back down south. I plan to go into agency. It's something I want to do to help other players and be involved in football still. It's what obviously I love. It also gives me a bit more of a time to spend with the kids for the day-to-day, school drop-offs and stuff like that.
“So I'm really excited to do that. But then, like I mentioned before, it allows me to come back and pretend I'm scouting players here - and gives me an excuse to come and watch the Europa games!”
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Dwight Gayle x Steve Bruce beef revisited
Just weeks ago, Gayle ignited a public feud with ex-Newcastle manager Steve Bruce. The striker went public to pour scorn on the 64-year-old’s tactical nous as Magpies boss.
"I felt that he didn't spend enough time working on a lot of things with us,” he told the Open Goal podcast. “Perhaps he was trying to go game by game rather than developing us as a team. I think we could've improved a lot of things.
“I remember some of the boys got chucked into the Man City shift. We had a three-game week and the gaffer chucked some of the boys under the bus in terms of who had to play Man City away.
“Me and Matt Ritchie were asking for tactical improvements for weeks, months. We came in at half-time and we were two or three down, and he was like, 'Boys, you keep asking for tactics, I don't do tactics; just put your boots on and work hard'."
Angry Steve Bruce response
This provoked an irate response from Bruce - now Blackpool manager - who sarcastically called Gayle “legendary” while referencing a horror miss against Manchester City. Nothing like letting bygones be bygones…
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