Marcus Gayle

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Marcus Gayle (born 27 September 1970 in Hammersmith, London) is an English born Jamaican former footballer.

Gayle could play as a striker or winger, though towards the end of his career he also played as a central defender.

[edit] Club career

Gayle started his career at Brentford in 1989, scoring 26 goals in 193 appearances for the Bees. He was loaned to KuPS in 1990. In 1994 Gayle moved to Wimbledon on transfer deadline day and then made his home and league debut against Leeds United the following day in a 1–0 win. He was part of their successful Premiership side and is probably most well remembered for his winning header in a 1–0 FA Cup victory over defending champions Manchester United in 1997.^{[original research?]} His performances in the Premiership earned him a call up to the Jamaica national team and he was included in their squad for the 1998 World Cup, along with fellow Wimbledon midfielder Robbie Earle. In January 2001 he was sold to Rangers for £900,000. He only made four appearances for the club, and was allowed to move to Gianluca Vialli's new-look Watford side for £900,000 in the summer of that year.

Gayle was unpopular with Watford fans during the Vialli season, during which time he played as a largely ineffective striker, scoring only seven times in 41 appearances. Memorably his substitution during the 3–2 away loss to Birmingham was greeted with cheers from the Watford support.^{[citation needed]}

He was expected to leave, along with most of Vialli's other unsuccessful signings, in the summer of 2002. However, he re-emerged as a centre-back under new manager Ray Lewington, and won the Player of the Season award that year. He also scored in the club's 2–1 defeat to Southampton in the FA Cup semi-finals. Another good season followed in 2003–04, but injury plagued his 2004–05, and he left Watford two days after the sacking of Lewington in March 2005.

He re-joined Brentford, his first club and made 37 appearances for the Bees. Gayle was released from his Brentford contract on May 17, 2006 and signed for Aldershot Town on 2 July 2006. He scored the first hat-trick of his career for the Shots on 14 October 2006, coming on as a second-half substitute to score three times against Kidderminster Harriers.^[1] He was released by Aldershot at the end of 2006–07 season, after spending much time of his time with the club out of action with injury. He was signed for AFC Wimbledon in May 2007 by former Aldershot manager Terry Brown, making him only the second player to play competitively for both AFC Wimbledon and the old Wimbledon FC (the first being Jermaine Darlington)^[2] and, after scoring against Maidenhead United in the FA Trophy^[3], becoming the only player to have scored for both incarnations of the South West London club.

He announced his retirement from competitive football after AFC Wimbledon sealed promotion to the Blue Square South following a 2–1 Ryman League Premier play-off final victory over Staines Town.^[4][5] He is presently working towards his coaching badges. Marcus is a member of the Wimbledon Old Players Association and has played for Wimbledon's Masters side and Old Players XI^[5]

[edit] International career

Gayle was capped 14 times for Jamaica and played in the 1998 FIFA World Cup.

[edit] Away from football

Gayle owns a designer clothes shop in Fulham Road, London, called 3 Tribes.

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Marcus Gayle career stats at Soccerbase

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