West Brom: Dwight Gayle makes honest claim about Newcastle United exit

Dwight Gayle has opened up on the circumstances behind his 2018 West Brom move

The forward signed for the Baggies on loan having fallen down the pecking order at St. James’ Park.

Gayle was Albion’s top scorer as the team went on to finish fourth in the Championship table, missing out on promotion with a play-off semi-final defeat to Aston Villa.

He contributed 23 goals and two assists from 39 appearances, and was crucial to the Baggies (all stats from Fbref).

Gayle returned to Newcastle at the end of that season, but struggled for consistent game time before eventually signing for Stoke City on a permanent basis in 2022.

Gayle opens up on West Brom move

Gayle admitted that he wasn’t looking to move away from Newcastle in the summer of 2018, revealing that he was quite happy with the Magpies.

However, manager Rafa Benitez opted to move the team in a different direction, and Gayle has claimed the chance to move to West Brom was one he knew he couldn’t turn down.

“I felt at home and at no point did I want to leave Newcastle because my family really enjoyed the city and the people,” said Gayle, via Chronicle Live.

“For that reason, I didn’t want to go.

“I’d played the season before and I felt confident if I got the opportunity if I’d stayed.

“But obviously, Rafa had ideas that he wanted to move on, try other options and other things.

“Knowing that, I knew I had the opportunity to go to West Brom and start scoring again.

“It was a chance to try to get some confidence.”

The season at West Brom was the joint-most prolific of Gayle’s career, having also scored 23 for Newcastle in the Championship when the Tyneside outfit earned promotion in 2017.

His return to Newcastle saw the striker play 46 more times in the Premier League across three seasons, where he bagged five goals.

Gayle made his return to the Championship with Stoke in 2022, but struggled to match his previous form in the second tier.

He scored just three times from 45 appearances in the league for the Potters before departing the club earlier this year.

The 33-year-old has since signed for Derby County, where he is hoping to help the Rams gain promotion from League One.

Meanwhile, West Brom are once again chasing promotion from the Championship and are eyeing a play-off place under Carlos Corberan.

Gayle’s move to West Brom was a success

While Gayle may have wanted to stay in the Premier League, the move back to the Championship was a great success.

He enjoyed a fantastic season with the Baggies, perhaps the best of his career, with his consistent performances earning the team a play-off place.

Gayle was unable to match those heights again, but the move to Pride Park this year has got him back in some form.

He will be hoping to play a heroic role in the closing weeks of the season by helping Paul Warne’s side return to the Championship for next year.