 Gayle was born in Bromsgrove, Worcestershire.A powerful target-man centre forward, he worked in a printers and on a building site before beginning his professional career.He played for a number of non-league teams, Alvechurch, Highgate United, Tamworth, Stratford Town, Solihull Borough, Sutton Coldfield Town and Mile Oak Rovers, before joining his hometown club, Bromsgrove Rovers in late 1987.