Dwight Gayle set to retire after concerns over his body breaking down as his career winds down to a close at Hibs.
Dwight Gayle says his “body is breaking down” and he intends to retire as a player at the end of this season.
In nine games, the former Crystal Palace and Newcastle United striker has scored two goals after signing a season-long contract at Easter Road in the summer.
Gayle scored in the team’s 3-1 victory against Ross County last weekend, but he is unhappy that he can’t play as much as he would like.
“Yes, I’ve started to express my feelings,” said the 35-year-old, who has already gained his Uefa B coaching licence.
“My body’s starting to break down a bit and it’s likely that I might pack it in.
“It’s just a whole heap of things – you’re not able to generate the same speed and power as other people. From game to game it’s hard to recover as quickly as before.
“I’ve always wanted to play, do what I can to help out the team, and when you feel like you’re not really able to do that, then that’s sort of a difficult time.
“I’d love to play forever, but with injuries and stuff like that, your body starts to pick up stuff that you probably need to think about.
“It’s not just muscle injuries, other things as well that could prevent you in later life, maybe playing in the garden with your kids and stuff like that. These are things I need to take into consideration.”
In order to make a spectacular comeback against Liverpool, Gayle memorably scored twice as a substitute for Crystal Palace, essentially costing Brendan Rodgers’ team the Premier League title in 2013–14.
He formerly played for Peterborough United, Stoke City, and West Bromwich Albion before joining Newcastle in the summer of 2016 for an estimated £10 million.