Captain Newell 'a big reason' why Gayle chose Hibs

Dwight Gayle says talks with Hibernian captain Joe Newell played a big part in the striker joining the club.

Newell and Gayle both played with each other at Peterborough over a decade ago and have kept in contact since.

The veteran striker, who has penned a one-year deal at Easter Road, said: "Joe was probably the person I spoke to most.

"We spoke most days about [the move], he was helping push it with the gaffer and he had a lot of good things to say.

"That was a big reason for it happening. I know quite a bit about Scottish football because I’ve followed a lot of Joe's career since he's been here.

"Something that interested me was how big a club it is and it's a new experience for myself playing in Scotland, it was ticking all the boxes."

Gayle was a free agent before making the move to Leith following his release from Derby at the end of last season.

At the age of 34, the forward insists fans can still expect to see a hard-working attitude.

And with his experience, Gayle also hopes to inspire others in the team.

"What [the fans] might not see is the way I'm going to be around the dressing room," he added.

"How I'm going to try to get everyone improving and working harder in a nice environment for us to do well as a team."