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Dwight Gayle: Will he break the EFL single season goal record?

By Carson A Merk

Newcastle hasn't seen a striker score like Dwight Gayle since Alan Shearer's time with the club. by Bill Henderson. Licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:St_James%27s_Park,_Newcastle._The_%27SHEARER_BANNER%27_-_geograph.org.uk_-_222792.jpg#/media/File:St_James%27s_Park,_Newcastle._The_%27SHEARER_BANNER%27_-_geograph.org.uk_-_222792.jpg
Newcastle hasn't seen a striker score like Dwight Gayle since Alan Shearer's time with the club. by Bill Henderson. Licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:St_James%27s_Park,_Newcastle._The_%27SHEARER_BANNER%27_-_geograph.org.uk_-_222792.jpg#/media/File:St_James%27s_Park,_Newcastle._The_%27SHEARER_BANNER%27_-_geograph.org.uk_-_222792.jpg /
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Dwight Gayle currently leads the EFL with 20 goals, but will he break the single season record of 30?

Before joining Newcastle United this summer, Dwight Gayle spent three seasons in the Premier League with Crystal Palace. In that time, he scored 15 goals in league play for the Eagles. He’s already netted five more than that total in half of a season with NUFC. The 25 year old leads the EFL with 20 goals so far, and is the only player to break the 20 mark for Newcastle since legend Alan Shearer. He scores in such a variety of ways. Whether it’s getting on the end of a last second centering pass, from the penalty spot, or a cheeky flick over an onrushing keeper, Gayle simply finds the net. But will he find the net better than any EFL player ever in one season?

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Since becoming the EFL Championship in 2004, the highest goal mark for one season belongs to Glenn Murray, Gayle’s former teammate at Crystal Palace, in 2012-13. Gayle’s current tally already ties the top scorers of 2009-10. Picking up another hamstring injury against Brentford, and the heavy legs of late season soccer, the road will be tough for the Magpies’ striker to break the all time high that Murray set. But, in his favor is the large chunk of time still left in the season to knock in 11 more shots. Also able to help him reach that pinnacle will be the return of Jonjo Shelvey. Without a doubt the best creator offensively for NUFC, Shelvey’s return will help work Gayle into easier chances than he could on his own.

Will he be able to overcome the injury and continue his torrid pace? Will weary legs strike down his chances of the single season high mark? Personally, I think he makes it happen. He has half of a season to go, and with the return of Jonjo Shelvey’s service, he will eclipse 30. I predict he finishes the 2016-17 EFL campaign with 33 goals to his credit. And that will be a huge boost next year, when he is hopefully scoring in the Premier League.