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Rafael Benitez praises Newcastle United striker Dwight Gayle

Newcastle United manager Rafael Benitez (REUTERS)
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Dwight Gayle has scored 11 goals for Newcastle United in the Championship so far.

Rafael Benitez has told Sky Bet Youtube’s channel that he believes Newcastle United’s Dwight Gayle could become an England international in the future.

Gayle has become Newcastle’s main man up-front this season, after netting 11 goals in the Championship already.

Gayle has made an immediate impact at St. James’ Park, after signing from Crystal Palace last summer, and Benitez believes that his side’s top scorer can continue to get even better.

Newcastle's Dwight Gayle scores their fourth goal

“Yes, I think he’s an interesting player,” Benitez said, when asked whether he believed Gayle could become an England international.

“He has a lot of good things. When you talk about strikers what they have to do is score goals, and he can score even more because he’s working hard in training and he is keen to learn. When we do finishing training he is always there and keen to improve.”

Dwight Gayle scores the first goal for Newcastle United

Gayle had been Palace’s top scorer in two of the three seasons he spent there before moving to Newcastle, but Alan Pardew appeared to have reservations over utilising the former Peterborough United man.

Newcastle took advantage of Palace’s failure to play Gayle regularly, and convinced him to take the step down to the Championship.

Dwight Gayle scores the second goal for Newcastle United

Gayle’s arrival has helped Newcastle race to the top of the second tier standings and establish an eight point gap over third placed Huddersfield Town.

Newcastle now look near-certainties to be promoted back to the Premier League, after their flying start.

The Magpies are next in action in two weekends’ time, when they take on Leeds United at Elland Road.

Dwight Gayle celebrates scoring the fourth goal for Newcastle United