Dwight Gayle has said that joining a club with the stature of Newcastle United is a "dream come true".
On Friday, Gayle signed a five-year deal with the Magpies after they agreed to pay Crystal Palace a fee of £10m, and the switch continues the remarkable rise of the 25-year-old who four years ago had just finished a loan spell with non-League side Bishop Stortford.
Newcastle will play in the Championship next season but that has not stopped Gayle talking up his move to Tyneside, with the striker admitting that he is "ecstatic" to have secured a transfer to Rafael Benitez's side.
Gayle told the club's official website: "If you'd have told me that [I'd be signing for Newcastle] then, I'd probably have laughed and told you were a liar, but to finally be here, on the route I've come, is a great achievement. I just want to crack on now, perform, and get the goals to push us back up.
"I'm ecstatic really. It's amazing to be at a big club like this and to come from where I've come, is just a dream come true. There's a massive fanbase and a great history here, so it's amazing to be here.
"Coming the route I did makes it that bit more special. I appreciate it that bit more. When I go back to see some mates and go back to watch my old teams, you just notice how far you've come, and that's when you really cherish it that bit more."
Gayle has previously played in the Championship with Peterborough United, where he scored 13 goals in 29 games.
Darren Plant
