Dwight Gayle: Hibernian’s ex-Newcastle striker poised to retire

Hibernian forward Dwight Gayle says his “body is breaking down” and he intends to retire as a player at the end of this season.

The former Crystal Palace and Newcastle United striker signed a season-long deal at Easter Road in the summer and has scored two goals in nine appearances.

Gayle netted in last weekend’s 3-1 win over Ross County but is frustrated at being unable to contribute to the team as he would wish.

“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.”

Gayle famously scored twice as a substitute for Crystal Palace to complete a remarkable comeback against Liverpool and effectively cost Brendan Rodgers’ side the Premier League title in 2013-14.

He joined Newcastle in the summer of 2016 in a deal worth a reported £10m and has also played for Peterborough United, Stoke City and West Bromwich Albion.