Happy Birthday Dwight Gayle! His best moments in red and blue

Club

17 Oct 2025

Few Crystal Palace icons can boast to have provided the iconic moments Dwight Gayle has: Villa Park, Crystanbul, hat-trick hero... As the former-Eagle turns 36-years-old today, take a look back at some of his greatest moments in a Palace shirt.

Palace’s first major signing of the transfer window after securing promotion via the play-offs was none other than Dwight Gayle.

He scored 25 goals in 75 games for the Eagles – and here are some of the best:

A last-gasp winner

Villa Park. Boxing Day. Added time. On as a substitute, Gayle took the game into his own hands late on as he found himself one on one with Fabian Delph and managed to pick out the top corner.

Brad Guzan in the Aston Villa goal stood no chance as Gayle's strike nestled in the top corner, clawing Palace out of the relegation zone.

The last laugh

In September 2015, Palace faced local rivals Charlton Athletic at Selhurst Park in the EFL Cup and Gayle stole the show.

In a dominating performance, the Eagles ran away 4-1 winners against the Addicks and Gayle managed to get a hat-trick, with two penalties and an excellent header from a corner where he rose highest.

Caving Liverpool in

One of the most famous nights in recent Palace history. After going 3-0 down in the first-half, Palace fought back in the final 11 minutes of the game and capping off the comeback was Gayle.

Damien Delaney pulled one back for the side, and Gayle made it 2-3 with a first-time finish after being played in by Yannick Bolaise. A searching ball from Scott Dann found Glenn Murray who chested it on for Gayle who calmly slotted in the equaliser in the 89th minute.

Leaving on a brace

In his penultimate game for the club, Gayle secured Palace’s safety for another season at the end of 2015/16.

He levelled the scores shortly after half-time and then notched a brace with an audacious free-kick from 25-yards out after being fouled in the build up. It was the final goal at Selhurst Park in 15/16 and his final for the club before making the move up north to Newcastle United.

Watch Gayle’s goal at 6:30 in the video below!

Related News

More News