Former EPL star who scored 57 goals in one season to retire after Hibs v Rangers - but will stay in football

Experienced Hibs striker Dwight Gayle has confirmed that he will retire after the club's final Premiership match against Rangers - and will become an agent.

The 34-year-old joined Hibs on a one-year deal last summer and has helped fire them to third place in the league, with the highlight being the winner in a Boxing Day derby victory over Hearts.

However, despite the lure of European football, Gayle will hang up his boots at the end of the season and move closer to his family in England.

Dwight Gayle played for Newcastle in the English Premier League. | Liverpool FC via Getty Images

Asked if this season's achievements had made him reconsider his future, Gayle said: "No, it's not. I'm going to come to the games, hopefully. I've spoken to a few people about coming with my little man and hopefully bringing him to some of the games abroad and stuff, which I'm really excited about but I'm still fixated on retiring and getting back to my family.

"It was always where I was. The most important thing for me is my family and spending time with them. I think while they're young it's really important that I do that.

"I'm absolutely buzzing for the club and to be involved in a team that's been able to get that opportunity and give that to the fans, to hopefully have the group stages to look forward to. It brings me nothing but pride to be a part of that really.

"I think coming up here was one of the big reasons I did that, to be involved in something. The way it's gone has made it even more special, the fact that we were struggling at the start.

Hibs ‘in a better place’

"You could see that around the club it wasn't too happy but leaving it now in a better position and with the buzz around the club, looking forward with a great core to the group and I'm sure the boys will push on from that and I think the start of the season will be very bright."

Gayle started his career in 2007 with Ryan in the Essex Olympian Football League. He then moved to Stansted, where he scored 57 goals in one season in the Essex Senior League, earning a move to Dagenham and Redbridge.

He had loan spells with Bishop’s Stortford and Peterborough, before joining the Posh permanently in 2013. He spent a solitary season at London Road before heading to Crystal Palace, where he played in the English Premier League.

Dwight Gayle is retiring at the end of the season following a year at Hibs. | SNS Group

His form at Selhurst Park earned him a move to Newcastle United, where he spent six years before moving on to Stoke City, Derby County and then Hibs. He also had a fruitful loan period at West Brom.

Gayle now plans to become an agent. “It's something I want to do to help other players and be involved in football still,” he explained. “It's what obviously I love. It also gives me a bit more of a time to spend with the kids for the day-to-day, school drop-ins and stuff like that and the club. So I'm really excited to do that. But then, like I mentioned before, it allows me to come back and pretend I'm scouting players here and gives me an excuse to come and watch the Europa Games.

“It's just obviously it's something I like to do, help the players out. You can obviously help players with a lot of information that I've experienced for myself and things that I haven't managed to see in football. It's just something I've looked into doing.”