Dwight Gayle will not believe he has a "fair chance" to play his part in Eddie Howe's Newcastle United revolution - according to the football manager who once tried to sign him.
That is the opinion of former Newcastle and Fulham star Lee Clark who feels that Gayle must use suggestions that he is better suited to the Championship to prove people wrong the moment he gets an opportunity again in a black and white shirt. Gayle has been afforded just a single minute of action in the Premier League in 2022 under Howe.
And his future looks far from certain ahead of a big summer shake-up on Tyneside. That said, Gayle also has two years left of his current deal at the club and is settled at St James' Park.
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Clark told Chronicle Live: "It's been a tough period for Dwight and certainly while the team has been in the Premier League he hasn't had too many opportunities. "Whenever he drops down to the Championship he's done what Aleksandar Mitrovic has done now.
"In the Championship he scores them for fun. "He will try to counteract that argument by saying he doesn't get a good run of games.
"And that's true. Any player wants that it's never nice getting a few minutes here or there, you need to get into a rhythm. It could be the system Eddie Howe uses. "We have spoken about Chris Wood not getting a lot of goals but he brings different attributes to the team.
"He starts the press from the front, being the focal point - although Dwight may well think he can do that job too. I know he will be frustrated. "He won't want the record of being an unused sub 23 times put it that way."
Newcastle have now entered what will be an intriguing few months in the Premier League. They are essentially safe from the drop but the board's first aim for next season will be to avoid ever getting sucked back into relegation trouble.
Gayle did not get a move in January but Clark feels now Newcastle are almost safe this could be the chance for him to grasp his opportunity.
Clark added: "The bottom line is with the way the transfer window was he knew he was going to be there until the end of the season. He's just had to get his head down. Hopefully he gets the chance and takes it. "Whether he stays at Newcastle or moves on to another club will be the next decision. As an individual, he will want to impress potential clubs that will be interested in you."
Clark wanted to make it clear he is a fan of Gayle and would have loved to have been posing for signing pictures with the striker in 2013 as Birmingham City boss. Instead, Gayle ended up signing for the Posh under Darren Ferguson before even bigger money moves to Crystal Palace and then Newcastle.
Clark revealed: "I tried to sign him from Dagenham when I was manager of Birmingham City. "John Still had him at Dagenham but I could not raise the funds. John's family are actually Birmingham supporters so we had a big conversation. "John was eager for that deal to go through but we could not raise the £750,000 to do it.
"He went to Peterborough and as they do they developed him very well and he went on for even bigger money, £6million to Crystal Palace. He is a terrific striker and has proved that at Championship level and he may argue he hasn't had a fair chance in the Premier League."
