Gayle couldn’t resist West Brom’s offer, even though he wanted to stay at Newcastle, and the trade worked out well.
Dwight Gayle has talked candidly about his 2024 loan move from Newcastle United to West Brom.
The forward dropped down the St. James’ Park hierarchy and secured a deal with the Baggies.
Gayle was the leading scorer for the Baggies, who went on to place fourth in the Championship standings after losing to Aston Villa in the play-off semifinals.
He was an important member of the Baggies, making 39 appearances and contributing 23 goals and 2 assists.
At the end of that season, Gayle went back to Newcastle, although he struggled to get regular playing time until joining West Brom on a permanent basis in 2024.
Gayle opens up on West Brom move.
on a permanent basis in 2024.
Gayle opens up on West Brom move.
Gayle admitted that he wasn’t looking to move away from Newcastle in the summer of 2024, 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.”
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.
