 He moved to Gillingham on loan on 14 March 1996, making 9 league appearances and scoring 3 goals which helped secure the club's promotion from Division Three.The following season, Gayle was on the move again, joining Northampton Town on 10 February 1997 for a fee of £25,000.He had played 26 times in the league for Stoke, scoring 4 goals, with almost half of his appearances as a substitute.