Dwight Gayle

Dwight Gayle

Gayle playing for Peterborough United in 2012
Personal information
Full name	Dwight Devon Boyd Gayle[1]
Date of birth	20 October 1990[2]
Place of birth	Walthamstow, England
Height	5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)[2]
Playing position	Striker
Club information
Current team	Crystal Palace
Number	16
Youth career
	Arsenal
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps^†	(Gls)^†
2009–2011	Stansted	42	(40)
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–	Crystal Palace	61	(13)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 08:52, 14 April 2016 (UTC). † Appearances (goals)

Dwight Devon Boyd Gayle (born 20 October 1990) is an English professional footballer who plays for Crystal Palace as a striker. Gayle began his career in the Arsenal Academy, after being released by the club as a teenager he dropped down to the 9th tier of English football joining Stansted of the Essex Senior League. Over the following seasons, Gayle worked his way back up the English football pyramid via stints at Bishop's Stortford, Dagenham & Redbridge and Peterborough United before establishing himself in the Premier League with Crystal Palace.

Career

Early career

Gayle was born in Walthamstow, London.^[3] He started his career in the Arsenal F.C. Academy of Arsenal^[4] but was released as a teenager. In 2009 he joined Stansted, where he went on to score 57 goals in the 2010–11 season.^[5]

Dagenham & Redbridge

In the summer of 2011 he signed for Football League Two side Dagenham & Redbridge. In August 2011, he was immediately sent out on loan to Conference North side Bishop's Stortford on a season-long loan.^[6] He then signed his professional contract in July 2012, on a three-year contract after scoring 29 goals in 42 apparences for Bishop's Stortford.^[7] He made his professional debut for the Daggers on 18 August 2012, in a 2–0 defeat to Cheltenham Town.

Peterborough United

In November 2012 Gayle joined Peterborough United on loan with Peterborough having the option of making his move permanent in January 2013.^[8] His Peterborough debut came on 24 November as a 53rd-minute substitute for Saido Berahino in a 1–1 away draw with Ipswich Town.^[9] Gayle's first Peterborough goal was on 1 December 2012. Picking-up a poor backpass by Blackpool's Alex Baptiste he scored what was only a consolation goal in Peterborough's 4–1 home defeat.^[10] Peterborough manager Darren Ferguson said of Gayle "He listens. He picks up things quickly, which is always a sign of a good player. He's going to be a really good player the boy".^[11]

On 24 December 2012, he agreed to sign permanently for Peterborough after a successful loan spell scoring five goals in six games. 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.^[12] On 2 March 2013, he scored a hat-trick in a 3–2 win against Blackburn Rovers.^[13]

Crystal Palace

On 3 July 2013, Gayle signed a four-year contract for newly promoted Premier League club Crystal Palace for an undisclosed fee, reported as a club record £4.5m,^[14] inheriting the number 16 shirt from Wilfried Zaha. His former club Dagenham & Redbridge received £1m 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.^[15][16] He made his Palace debut playing 90 minutes in a home match against Tottenham Hotspur on 18 August 2013 in a 0–1 loss.^[17] On 31 August 2013, Gayle scored his first goal for the club and his first in the Premier League by successfully converting a penalty against Sunderland after he was fouled by John O'Shea.^[18] On 5 October, he scored in a 3–1 defeat against Liverpool at Anfield.^[19] On boxing day, he scored the only goal in a 1–0 away win against Aston Villa at the end of the game in added time^[20] although, in part due to injury, he found first team appearance opportunities limited for the remainder of the season.^[21] He returned towards the end of the season scoring two goals in a come back to 3–3 (Palace having been 0–3 down) in a home draw against Liverpool, which effectively ended their chances of the League title. In Palace's final match of the season against Fulham at Craven Cottage he scored another two goals, including a direct free-kick.^[22] These goals against Fulham ensured he finished his first season at Crystal Palace as the club's top scorer despite struggling to hold down a consistent place in the starting eleven.^[23]

On 26 August 2014, Gayle scored his first hat-trick for Crystal Palace, scoring three times in the first-half to give Palace a comfortable 3–0 win over Walsall in the second round of the Football League Cup.^[24] Four days later, he scored his first Premier League goal of the season in the opening minute of a 3–3 draw at Newcastle United.^[25] On 23 November, Gayle scored in the home fixture against Liverpool for the second consecutive season as Palace defeated the Merseyside team 3–1.^[26]

On 4 January, Gayle scored his first goal of 2015 in a 4–0 win over Dover Athletic in the third round of the FA Cup. 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 at Turf Moor.^[27]

On 11 August 2015, Bristol City manager Steve Cotterill confirmed that Crystal Palace had accepted an undisclosed bid for Gayle.^[28] On 15 August it was confirmed that Bristol City were no longer interested in signing Gayle. ^[29]

Style of play

He is described as an 'energetic, hardworking, pacey striker'.^[8]

Career statistics

As of match played 14 April 2016.

Club statistics

Club	Season	League			FA Cup		League Cup		Other		Total
		Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Bishop's Stortford (loan)	2011–12[30]	Conference North	42	29	3	1	—		10[lower-alpha 1]	12	55	42
Dagenham & Redbridge	2012–13[31]	League Two	18	7	1	0	0	0	1[lower-alpha 2]	0	20	7
Peterborough United (loan)	2012–13[31]	Championship	9	7	0	0	0	0	—		9	7
Peterborough United	2012–13[31]	Championship	20	6	0	0	0	0	—		20	6
	Total		29	13	0	0	0	0	—		29	13
Crystal Palace	2013–14[32]	Premier League	23	7	2	1	0	0	—		25	8
	2014–15[33]	Premier League	25	5	2	1	2	4	—		29	10
	2015–16[34]	Premier League	13	1	0	0	3	4	—		16	5
	Total		61	13	5	2	5	8	—		71	23
Career total			150	62	9	3	5	8	11	12	175	83

1. Three appearances and one goal in FA Trophy, two appearances and two goals in Herts Charity Cup, five appearances and nine goals in Herts Senior Cup
2. Appearance in Football League Trophy

References

1. "Professional retain list & free transfers 2012/13" (PDF). The Football League. 18 May 2013. p. 23. Retrieved 23 June 2013.
2. "Dwight Gayle". CPFC.co.uk. Retrieved 10 April 2016.
3. Rollin, Glenda; Rollin, Jack, eds. (2012). Sky Sports Football Yearbook 2012–2013 (43rd ed.). London: Headline. p. 474. ISBN 978-0-7553-6356-8.
4. he scored a "Gayle goes Posh". The Sun (London). 29 October 2012. Retrieved 17 November 2012.
5. "Player Profile". Dagenham & Redbridge F.C. Retrieved 19 August 2012.
6. "Gayle Joins Blues on Season-Long Loan". Pitchero. Retrieved 19 August 2012.
7. "Dagenham & Redbridge striker Dwight Gayle extends contract". BBC Sport. Retrieved 19 August 2012.
8. "Dwight Gayle joins Peterborough United from Dagenham". BBC Sport. Retrieved 23 December 2012.
9. "Ipswich 1–1 Peterborough United". BBC Sport. Retrieved 23 December 2012.
10. "Peterborough United 1–4 Blackpool". BBC Sport. Retrieved 23 December 2012.
11. Plane, Darren. "Darren Ferguson looks to secure Dwight Gayle signing". www.sportsmole.co.uk. Retrieved 23 December 2012.
12. "Posh confirm permanent Gayle deal". BBC Sport. 24 December 2012. Retrieved 24 December 2012.
13. "Blackburn 2–3 Peterborough" BBC Sport. 2 March 2013. Retrieved 3 March 2013.
14. http://www.theguardian.com/football/2013/jul/03/crystal-palace-dwight-gayle-peterborough
15. "Gayle Completes Palace Switch". www.cpfc.co.uk. Retrieved 16 August 2013.
16. "Crystal Palace sign Dwight Gayle from Peterborough United". BBC Sport. Retrieved 16 August 2013.
17. "Gayle makes Premier League debut for Palace against Spurs as old team Stansted draw in FA Cup". www.hertsandessexobserver.co.uk. Retrieved 19 August 2013.
18. "Crystal Palace 3–1 Sunderland" BBC Sport. 31 August 2013. Retrieved 31 August 2013.
19. "Liverpool 3–1 Crystal Palace" BBC Sport. 5 October 2013. Retrieved 27 December 2013.
20. "Aston Villa 0–1 Crystal Palace" BBC Sport. 26 December 2013. Retrieved 27 December 2013
21. http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/crystal-palaces-relegation-fight-hit-3285193
22. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2621511/Dwight-Gayle-set-Crystal-Palace-exit-despite-heroics-against-Liverpool.html
23. List of Crystal Palace F.C. records and statistics
24. "Walsall 0–3 Crystal Palace: Dwight Gayle fires in a hat-trick to cruise past League One side in the Capital One Cup". Daily Mail. 26 August 2014. Retrieved 26 August 2014.
25. "Newcastle 3-3 Crystal Palace". BBC. Retrieved 20 January 2015.
26. "Crystal Palace 3-1 Liverpool". BBC. Retrieved 20 January 2015.
27. "Crystal Palace’s Dwight Gayle hits late winner to stun Burnley". The Guardian. 18 January 2015.
28. "Dwight Gayle: Bristol City boss Cotterill confirms accepted bid". BBC. Retrieved 12 August 2015.
29. "Red card a game changer - Cotterill". Bristol City. Retrieved 16 August 2015.
30. "Games played by Dwight Gayle in 2011/2012 for Bishop's Stortford". Bishop's Stortford. Retrieved 4 September 2012.
31. "Games played by Dwight Gayle in 2012/2013". Soccerbase. Retrieved 4 September 2012.
32. "Games played by Dwight Gayle in 2013/2014". Soccerbase. Retrieved 4 July 2013.
33. "Games played by Dwight Gayle in 2014/2015". Soccerbase. Retrieved 4 July 2013.
34. "Games played by Dwight Gayle in 2015/2016". Soccerbase. Retrieved 4 July 2013.

External links

• Dwight Gayle career statistics at Soccerbase
• Dwight Gayle profile at Soccerway