Dwight Gayle has been the prime reason for Newcastle United's current league position with his 20 goals for the Magpies this season, which has led them to sit at the top of the pile in the Championship as they look to gain an instant return to the top-flight.

The 26-year-old began his career in non-league football with Stansted, where he impressed enough to earn himself a move to Dagenham & Redbridge in 2011.

Loan spells at Bishop's Stortford and Peterborough United led to a permanent switch to the Posh in the winter transfer window of 2015, arriving at London Road for a believed £750,000 fee from the Daggers.

Gayle's form at Peterborough meant Crystal Palace would be his next destination.

In three years at Selhurst Park, the striker bagged 15 goals.

Not a lot to most but he became the club's top-scorer for three consecutive seasons before departing for the relegated Newcastle last summer.

How much do you know about Dwight Gayle? Here's TWO things you probably don't know about him......

 

He scored over half a century of goals in one campaign

The rise of Gayle from non-league to the Premier League, prior to his move to the north-east, is admirable for everyone associated with football, but it all started off at Stansted.

Following his release from the Arsenal youth academy, forward would join Essex Senior League team Stansted in 2009 and no one was prepared for what would come next.

Dwight Gayle would score 57 goals during the 2010/11 season and that earned him a move to professional football with Dagenham & Redbridge, whom at the time were in League Two.

Arsenal rejected Dwight Gayle as a youngster because of his height

Premier League side Arsenal, whom have great standards at their youth academy, decided to let young forward Dwight Gayle go because he was too small to become a footballer.

The Gunners released Gayle at the age of 13 and that meant the striker almost turned his back on football altogether, before his former youth coach Dave Bricknell persuaded him to join Stansted.

Several years later, the 26 year-old is one of the finest attackers in the Championship and his height hasn't stopped him this season with his 20 goals.