Newcastle already have ‘perfect’ Wilson replacement after what I’ve heard – pundit
Dwight Gayle can play a “crucial” role as Callum Wilson’s understudy at Newcastle this season, according to Noel Whelan.
The former Leeds striker, speaking exclusively to Football Insider, insisted the 32-year-old is “like Jermaine Defoe in and around that box”.
Gayle has made three Newcastle league appearances this season, totalling 20 minutes of top-flight football.
The Englishman had been linked with a Championship switch ahead of the winter window next month, but manager Eddie Howe has insisted the striker is an “important” part of his plans.
As quoted by Chronicle Live (3 December), Howe said it was “great” to have the experience of Gayle and Callum Wilson, and suggested he will “enjoy working with” the former Crystal Palace striker.
When asked if Gayle is good enough to be Wilson’s understudy Newcastle, Whelan told Football Insider‘s Ewan Kingsbury: “He is perfect for them right now, he’s a real natural goal scorer – and Howe knows it.
“He’s got that knack, that knowhow. He’s like Jermaine Defoe in and around that box – you know he will get a shot off or get his head on something when he’s in those dangerous areas.
“You can’t afford to let go of players like that when you’re in a relegation scrap. Him coming on into a vital game could be the difference between one and three points, and that could be crucial.
“Newcastle need to use every single player. They’re going to need all of them, and Dwight Gayle is no different – he’s got a natural ability in that box.”
Gayle has scored 26 goals in 140 Premier League games, including 11 for Newcastle.
The striker joined the Magpies from Palace in 2016.
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