Dwight Gayle announces retirement | OneFootball

Dwight Gayle has now confirmed that he will retire from playing at the end of this 2024/25 season.

The striker was one of many excellent Rafa Benitez signings during his time at St James’ Park.

Signed for £10m from Crystal Palace in summer 2016, Dwight Gayle scored 23 goals in 26 Championship starts (plus six sub appearances) as he fired United back to the Premier League at the first attempt.

The forward averaging a goal every 93 Championship minutes that promotion season.

Dwight Gayle also then played a key role in helping Newcastle stay in the Premier League after promotion, as Mike Ashley broke his promises to Rafa Benitez to properly back him if/when getting to the top tier.

Rafa brought in £5m signing Joselu and Dwight Gayle played an unselfish role as he scored six and got three assists that 2017/18 Premier League season, Ayoze Perez top scorer with eight PL goals.

Good luck to Dwight Gayle after his playing retirement, he did a great job during a difficult time in Newcastle United’s history.

Newcastle United official release – 17 May 2025:

Dwight Gayle, the former Newcastle United number nine, has confirmed that he plans to retire at the end of this season.

With his Hibernian contract due to expire this summer, Saturday’s Scottish Premiership clash with Rangers is set to be the final appearance of a career which has seen the 35-year-old score more than 150 goals and surpass 400 appearances.

One hundred and twenty two of those came in black and white, with Gayle spending six seasons at St. James’ Park. His first campaign was arguably the most memorable, as he finished the club’s top scorer with 23 goals in the Championship to fire United to the title and back into the top flight in 2016/17. However, he was also a reliable presence in the Premier League under Rafa Benítez, Steve Bruce and Eddie Howe, netting 34 goals for the club in all.

Gayle had worked his way through the leagues before joining Crystal Palace, then Newcastle. He had a successful loan spell with West Brom in 2018/19 and went on to play for Stoke, Derby and now Hibs.

But speaking ahead of the weekend’s game at Easter Road, he said: “I am still fixated on retiring and getting back to my family.