Thierry Gale

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Thierry Gale
Personal information
Full name Thierry Mikael Gale
Date of birth (2002-05-01) 1 May 2002 (age 23)
Place of birth Bridgetown, Barbados
Height 1.68 m (5 ft 6 in)
Position(s) Forward
Team information
Current team
Bolton Wanderers
Number 11
Youth career
Pro Shottas United
2018–2020 Budapest Honvéd
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
2020–2022 Budapest Honvéd 17 (1)
2020–2022 Budapest Honvéd II 24 (2)
2022–2023 Dila Gori 35 (12)
2023–2025 Rapid Wien 6 (1)
2024 Rapid Wien II 3 (1)
2025Piast Gliwice (loan) 11 (1)
2025– Bolton Wanderers 2 (0)
International career
2018– Barbados 15 (8)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 16:26, 14 August 2025 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals as of 16:53, 5 February 2025 (UTC)

Thierry Mikael Gale (born 1 May 2002) is a Barbadian professional footballer who plays as a forward for EFL League One club Bolton Wanderers and the Barbados national team.

Contents

Early career

Gale played football at St Leonard's Boys School in the Barbados Secondary Schools Football League (BSSFL), leading them to a national title in 2014 at the under-14 level. [1] In 2016, he led the under-16 squad to a double (League and Knockout Cup), [2] finishing as the league's top scorer.

Gale repeated the feat in 2017, scoring three goals (including the game-winner in the final) in the U-16 Knockout Cup, [3] [4] and leading the league with nine goals. That same year, he scored a brace on the final matchday of the U19 League to secure the league title. [5] Two weeks later, he helped St Leonard's secure the double by scoring once in the U19 Knockout Cup final. [6] For his performances, he was named BSSFL Player of the Week. [7]

At the club level, Gale played with the prestigious school, Pro Shottas United. He was named their Player of the Year in 2014. [8] In 2017, he led the under-15 squad to a first-place finish at the Guardian Group Youth Football Competition, capturing MVP honors as well. [9]

Club career

In August 2018, Gale trialled with Hungarian club Budapest Honvéd, along with national team captain Rashad Jules. [10] In an interview with LoopTT, Jules called him "one of Barbados’ finest." [11] Gale officially signed with Budapest Honvéd in October and joined their youth team. [12]

In 2020, he signed his first professional contract, agreeing to a three-year deal with the 14-time champions. [13] Soon thereafter, he made his professional debut on 21 August, coming on for Barna Kesztyűs during a 3–1 league defeat to MTK. [14]

In July 2022, Gale moved to FC Dila Gori of Georgia’s Erovnuli Liga. [15] On 29 August 2023, Gale signed for Austrian Bundesliga club Rapid Wien on a four-year contract. [16]

On 5 February 2025, Gale joined Polish top-flight club Piast Gliwice on loan until the end of 2025, with an option to terminate the loan midway through or make the move permanent. [17] In June 2025, Rapid terminated his loan early. [18]

In July 2025 Gale signed for Bolton Wanderers. [19] It was reported Bolton paid £600,000, the highest fee ever paid for a Barbados footballer. [20] Gale joined the club for training camp in Spain before returning to England, where he made his team debut in a preseason friendly against Barrow on 15 July. [21]

International career

Gale made his full debut for the senior national team in a 0–0 friendly draw against Bermuda on 25 March 2018, entering the match as a substitute for team captain Rashad Jules in the closing minutes. He was 15 years old. [22] [23] He scored his maiden international goal on 5 September 2019 against Saint Martin, a curving free-kick in front of his hometown crowd in Bridgetown to secure a 4–0 victory during the 2019–20 CONCACAF Nations League C. [24]

Personal life

His father, Dwayne Gale, won two Barbados Premier League titles with Paradise, and one with Notre Dame, in the early 2000s. Playing as a forward, he earned two caps with the Barbados national team and enjoyed a stint with Galway United in Ireland. [6] [25] [26]

His favorite professional player is Cristiano Ronaldo. [7]

Career statistics

Club

As of match played 13 August 2025
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
ClubSeasonLeagueNational cup [a] League cup [b] ContinentalOtherTotal
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Budapest Honvéd II 2020–21 Nemzeti Bajnokság III 110110
2021–22 Nemzeti Bajnokság III132132
Total24200000000242
Budapest Honvéd 2020–21 Nemzeti Bajnokság I 913200123
2021–22 Nemzeti Bajnokság I801090
Total17142000000213
Dila Gori 2022 Erovnuli Liga 162322 [c] 0214
2023 Erovnuli Liga1910006 [c] 22 [d] 02712
Total3512320082204816
Rapid Wien 2023–24 Austrian Bundesliga 512071
2024–25 Austrian Bundesliga10001 [c] 020
Total6120001091
Rapid Wien II 2024–25 2. Liga 3131
Piast Gliwice (loan) 2024–25 Ekstraklasa 11100111
Bolton Wanderers 2025–26 EFL League One 20001131
Career total98189411922011925

International

As of match played 20 November 2024. [27]
Appearances and goals by national team and year
National teamYearAppsGoals
Barbados 201840
201921
202110
202365
202422
Total158
Scores and results list Barbados' goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Gale goal.
List of international goals scored by Thierry Gale [27]
No.DateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition
15 September 2019 Wildey Turf, Bridgetown, BarbadosFlag of France.svg  Saint Martin 4–04–0 2019–20 CONCACAF Nations League C
226 March 2023 Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, North Sound, Antigua and BarbudaFlag of Antigua and Barbuda.svg  Antigua and Barbuda 1–12–1 2022–23 CONCACAF Nations League B
38 September 2023 Wildey Turf, Bridgetown, BarbadosFlag of Montserrat.svg  Montserrat 2–12–3 2023–24 CONCACAF Nations League B
411 September 2023 Estadio Nacional, Managua, NicaraguaFlag of Nicaragua.svg  Nicaragua 1–51–52023–24 CONCACAF Nations League B
516 October 2023 Estadio Complejo Deportivo Moca 86, Moca, Dominican RepublicFlag of the Dominican Republic.svg  Dominican Republic 1–02–52023–24 CONCACAF Nations League B
62–4
719 November 2024 Synthetic Track and Field Facility, Leonora, GuyanaFlag of Guyana.svg  Guyana 1–33–5 2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup qualification play-in
83–4

References

  1. Jordan, Chad (26 June 2014). "It's St Leonard's again". The Daily Nation . Retrieved 2 September 2018.
  2. Gilkes, Renaldo (12 May 2016). "St. Leonard's Boys captures second BSSFL Title". Barbados Football Association . Retrieved 2 September 2018.
  3. "Champions!". Barbados Today. 8 May 2017. Retrieved 2 September 2018.
  4. "Another football title for St Leonard's Boys'". loopnewsbarbados.com. 10 May 2017. Retrieved 2 September 2018.
  5. "Richmond kings". Barbados Today. 15 November 2017. Retrieved 2 September 2018.
  6. 1 2 Goodman, Ria; Stuart, Ezra (13 December 2017). "St Leonard's lords of football". The Daily Nation . Retrieved 2 September 2018.
  7. 1 2 Gilkes, Renaldo (17 December 2017). "BSSFL Player of the Week: Thierry Gale". loopnewsbarbados.com. Retrieved 2 September 2018.
  8. "Thierry the top Shotta". The Daily Nation . 11 February 2015. Retrieved 2 September 2018.
  9. Goodman, Ria (1 May 2017). "Pro Shottas 'Shotting'". The Daily Nation . Retrieved 2 September 2018 via PressReader.
  10. Lindsay, Morissa (26 August 2018). "National football players on professional contract in Hungary". Barbados Today. Retrieved 2 September 2018.
  11. Gilkes, Renaldo (29 August 2018). "Two top Bajan footballers off to Europe with big hopes". LoopTT. Retrieved 2 September 2018.
  12. "Young Gale signs with Honvéd FC". www.nationnews.com. Retrieved 12 August 2020.
  13. Lindsay, Morissa (17 August 2020). "Gale joins professional ranks". barbadostoday.bb. Retrieved 15 October 2020.
  14. "Egy egészen új és egyelőre szokatlan Honvédot láthattunk // osztályozókönyv". csak.taccs.hu (in Hungarian). 22 August 2020. Retrieved 15 October 2020.
  15. Gilkes, Renaldo. "National footballer Thierry Gale moves to Georgia". Loop News. Retrieved 19 December 2022.
  16. "Rapid verpflichtet Thierry Gale" [Rapid signs Thierry Gale]. www.skrapid.at/de (in German). 29 August 2023. Retrieved 29 August 2023.
  17. "Thierry Gale dołącza do Piasta Gliwice!" (in Polish). Piast Gliwice. 5 February 2025. Retrieved 5 February 2025.
  18. Galiński, Tomasz (30 June 2025). "Piast pożegnał kolejnych zawodników. "Odmówił występu w sparingu"". sportowefakty.wp.pl (in Polish). Retrieved 2 July 2025.
  19. "Thierry Gale: Bolton Wanderers sign Rapid Vienna forward". BBC Sport. 4 July 2025.
  20. Bolton Wanderers sign winger Thierry Gale from Rapid Vienna
  21. "PRE-SEASON REPORT | Barrow AFC 0 Wanderers 1". Bolton Wanderers. 15 July 2025. Retrieved 25 July 2025.
  22. "Bragging rights to Barbados soccer". Caribbean Life. 31 March 2018. Retrieved 2 September 2018.
  23. "Barbados vs. Bermuda 0–0". Soccerway. Retrieved 2 September 2018.
  24. "Barbados flex scoring muscles to down Saint Martin". CONCACAF Nations League. 4 September 2019. Retrieved 15 October 2020.
  25. Gilkes, Renaldo (18 August 2020). "Bajan baller signed to European team gives advice to fellow players". loopnewsbarbados.com. Retrieved 15 October 2020.
  26. "Dwayne Gale". National-Football-Teams.com.
  27. 1 2 "Thierry Gale". National Football Teams. Benjamin Strack-Zimmermann. Retrieved 20 November 2024.