Gates would make a further 16 substitute appearances before he made his full debut against Derby County at The Baseball Ground in October 1975.
Gates' first goal as a professional footballer came later that month in a 3–0 UEFA Cup victory against FC Bruges at Portman Road in the 1st leg of the 2nd round.
[4] Gates contributed to Ipswich's victorious 1977–78 FA Cup campaign, making one appearance during the run against Cardiff City in the third round.
Gates' debut came on the opening day of the season at Roker Park on 17 August 1985 in front of a 21,208 crowd that witnessed a 2–0 victory for the visitors Blackburn Rovers.
That first season for Gates at Roker Park however proved to be an unhappy one with Sunderland finishing 18th only two places above the relegation zone.
Gates' third season at Sunderland under new manager Denis Smith saw the team win the league title with over 90 points and 90 goals.
In 1990, Gates left Sunderland for Carlisle United for his final season in league football, scoring a respectable 8 times in 38 appearances, a goal every 4.75 games.