While some of Newcastle’s players will have experienced something of a culture shock after dropping into the second tier, life in the Championship is hardly a step into the footballing wilderness for Dwight Gayle.
Five years ago, the striker was on loan in National League North with Bishop’s Stortford, and the following season saw him playing in League Two with Dagenham & Redbridge.
He subsequently joined Peterborough in the Championship, with his form at London Road earning him a move to Crystal Palace, and having worked his way through the ranks, he is relishing the opportunity to lead the line in front of 50,000-plus crowds at St James’ Park.
“I’m really enjoying my football at the moment, but the most important thing is to keep working hard because I know how easy it can be to lose it and stop getting the goals and the accomplishments,” said Gayle.
“I want to carry on enjoying my football, so I just need to keep working hard. This is only the beginning.
“Do I feel like Newcastle’s number nine now? I hope so. But we’ve still got a lot to prove this season. We’ve still got to keep digging away, and not get over-confident.
“It’s fantastic to play in front of some of the quality we’ve got,” said Gayle. “Everybody seems to be chipping in with their little assists at the moment, and hopefully it continues.
“It’s not just Jonjo and Matt - we have 20 or so other players who can play those sort of balls and it’s fantastic to be playing in front of them.
“When I’m making my runs, I just sort of know those balls are going to be coming, and it’s fantastic to be playing up top in front of those.”