Nile Ranger
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Nile Ranger (born 11 April 1991) is an English professional
footballer A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby lea ...
who plays as a striker for
Kettering Town Kettering Town Football Club is a football club based in Burton Latimer, Northamptonshire, England. They are currently members of the and play at Latimer Park. Kettering were the first club to wear sponsorship on their shirts in 1976, and have ...
. Previously with
Crystal Palace Crystal Palace may refer to: Places Canada * Crystal Palace Complex (Dieppe), a former amusement park now a shopping complex in Dieppe, New Brunswick * Crystal Palace Barracks, London, Ontario * Crystal Palace (Montreal), an exhibition buildin ...
and
Southampton Southampton is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Hampshire, England. It is located approximately southwest of London, west of Portsmouth, and southeast of Salisbury. Southampton had a population of 253, ...
, Ranger finished his youth career at
Newcastle United Newcastle United Football Club is a professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear, England. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football league system, English football. Since th ...
, where he made his professional debut and was part of their team which won the
Football League Championship The English Football League Championship, known simply as the Championship and for sponsorship purposes as Sky Betting & Gaming, Sky Bet Championship, is a professional association football league in England and Wales. Contested by 24 clubs, i ...
in 2009–10. Later on in his spell at
St James's Park St James's Park is a urban park in the City of Westminster, central London. A Royal Park, it is at the southernmost end of the St James's area, which was named after a once isolated medieval hospital dedicated to St James the Less, now the ...
, he was loaned to
Barnsley Barnsley () is a market town in South Yorkshire, England. It is the main settlement of the Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley and the fourth largest settlement in South Yorkshire. The town's population was 71,422 in 2021, while the wider boroug ...
and
Sheffield Wednesday Sheffield Wednesday Football Club is a professional association football club based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. They compete in the EFL Championship, the second level of the English football league system. Formed in 1867 as an off ...
. He played international football for England U19. After leaving Newcastle by mutual consent in 2013, he went on to play for
Swindon Town Swindon Town Football Club is a professional association football club based in Swindon, Wiltshire, England. The team, known as the "Robins", currently compete in , the fourth level of the English football league system. Founded as Swindon A ...
,
Blackpool Blackpool is a seaside town in Lancashire, England. It is located on the Irish Sea coast of the Fylde peninsula, approximately north of Liverpool and west of Preston, Lancashire, Preston. It is the main settlement in the Borough of Blackpool ...
and
Southend United Southend United Football Club is a professional association football club based in Southend-on-Sea, Essex, England, which competes in the National League, the fifth level of English football. The team are known as "The Shrimpers", a reference ...
in the
English Football League The English Football League (EFL) is a league of professional association football, football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888 as the Football League, it is the oldest football league in Association football around the world, the w ...
, with his spells at all three clubs being hindered by disciplinary issues including multiple absences from training. Ranger, who was incarcerated for involvement in armed robbery as a teenager, served a prison sentence for fraud in 2017.


Early life

Born in Wood Green in North London, Ranger attended Alexandra Park School. He began his football career at
Crystal Palace Crystal Palace may refer to: Places Canada * Crystal Palace Complex (Dieppe), a former amusement park now a shopping complex in Dieppe, New Brunswick * Crystal Palace Barracks, London, Ontario * Crystal Palace (Montreal), an exhibition buildin ...
Football Academy and was at their development centre from a young age. He was with the Protec Football Development School for a few weeks before being scouted by
Southampton Southampton is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Hampshire, England. It is located approximately southwest of London, west of Portsmouth, and southeast of Salisbury. Southampton had a population of 253, ...
. His career was almost over before it began, as whilst playing for the club he was sentenced to 11 weeks in a Young Offender's Institute for his part in an armed street robbery in
Muswell Hill Muswell Hill is a suburban district of the London Borough of Haringey, north London. The hill, which reaches over above sea level, is situated north of Charing Cross. Neighbouring areas include Highgate, London, Highgate, Hampstead Garden ...
committed before signing for the club. He returned to Southampton after completing his sentence, but was eventually released as a player with a bad reputation after he stole boots, training kit and a staff member's box of chocolates. He was offered terms by
Swindon Town Swindon Town Football Club is a professional association football club based in Swindon, Wiltshire, England. The team, known as the "Robins", currently compete in , the fourth level of the English football league system. Founded as Swindon A ...
after a successful trial before
Newcastle United Newcastle United Football Club is a professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear, England. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football league system, English football. Since th ...
signed him.


Club career


Newcastle United

In July 2008,
director of football A sporting director, or director of sport, is an senior management, executive management position in a sports club. The role is well known as a manager role for European football clubs, which are sometime also "sports clubs", offering many typ ...
at Newcastle,
Dennis Wise Dennis Frank Wise (born 16 December 1966) is an English former professional football player and manager who played as a central midfielder. He spent the majority of his career at Chelsea, from 1990 to 2001. Beginning his career at Wimbledon, ...
, brought Ranger to Newcastle United. Ranger made his academy debut against
Leicester City Leicester ( ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city, Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area, and the county town of Leicestershire in the East Midlands of England. It is the largest city in the East Midlands with a popula ...
on 23 August 2008 and made his debut for the reserve team against
Sunderland Sunderland () is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England. It is a port at the mouth of the River Wear on the North Sea, approximately south-east of Newcastle upon Tyne. It is the most p ...
at
St James' Park St James' Park is a Association football, football stadium in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. It is the home of Newcastle United F.C., Newcastle United. With a seating capacity of 52,305, it is the List of football stadiums in England, 8th la ...
on 1 September 2008. He impressed hugely in these levels, finishing with 15 goals for the Under-18s and seven for the reserves in his first season on Tyneside. That resulted in his winning the "Wor Jackie Milburn Trophy" in 2009. He was subsequently rewarded by then-manager
Alan Shearer Alan Shearer (born 13 August 1970) is an English Association football, football pundit and former professional player who played as a striker (association football), striker. Widely regarded as one of the best strikers of all time and one of t ...
with a new and improved three-and-a-half-year contract. Ranger's Newcastle debut came as an added-time substitute for
Shola Ameobi Foluwashola "Shola" Ameobi (born 12 October 1981) is a Nigerian former professional footballer who played as a striker. He spent 14 years at Newcastle United, making 397 official appearances and scoring 79 goals, and received a winner's medal ...
against
West Bromwich Albion West Bromwich Albion Football Club (), commonly known as West Brom or The Albion, is a professional association football club based in West Bromwich, West Midlands, England. They compete in the EFL Championship, the second level of the Englis ...
in the
Championship In sport, a championship is a competition in which the aim is to decide which individual or team is the champion. Championship systems Various forms of competition can be referred to by the term championship. Title match system In this sys ...
on 8 August 2009. He made his first senior start against
Leicester City Leicester ( ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city, Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area, and the county town of Leicestershire in the East Midlands of England. It is the largest city in the East Midlands with a popula ...
on 31 August, where he won the
man of the match In team sport, a player of the match award (also known as man of the match or woman of the match) is often given to the most outstanding player in a particular match. This can be a player from either team, although the player is generally chose ...
award; he played just over 84 minutes before being substituted and received a standing ovation from fans. He scored his first senior goal for the club in a 2–0 win over
Coventry City Coventry City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Coventry, West Midlands. The club plays in the EFL Championship, the second tier of English football. The club is nicknamed The Sky Blues after the sky blue colou ...
on 9 December, after coming on as a substitute for
Peter Løvenkrands Peter Rosenkrands Løvenkrands (born 29 January 1980) is a Danish professional football manager and former player. He played mainly as a striker or as a winger, and was known for his pace. Løvenkrands began his career in his native Denmark, w ...
. Ranger scored the second of his two league goals that season in a 2–0 home win against
Crystal Palace Crystal Palace may refer to: Places Canada * Crystal Palace Complex (Dieppe), a former amusement park now a shopping complex in Dieppe, New Brunswick * Crystal Palace Barracks, London, Ontario * Crystal Palace (Montreal), an exhibition buildin ...
on 27 January 2010, as Newcastle ended the season as champions and were promoted to the
Premier League The Premier League is a professional association football league in England and the highest level of the English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Football Lea ...
. After appearing as an unused substitute in the first two Premier League games for Newcastle, he started in the
Football League Cup The English Football League Cup, often referred to as the League Cup and currently known as the Carabao Cup for sponsorship reasons, is an annual Single-elimination tournament, knockout competition in men's domestic football in England. Orga ...
wins over
Accrington Stanley Accrington Stanley Football Club is a professional association football club based in Accrington, Lancashire, England, that compete in the , the fourth level of the English football league system. They have spent their entire history playing a ...
and Chelsea. He scored the first equalising goal in the game at
Stamford Bridge Stamford Bridge may refer to: * Stamford Bridge, East Riding of Yorkshire, a village in England ** Battle of Stamford Bridge, 25 September 1066 * Stamford Bridge (bridge), a bridge in the village of Stamford Bridge * Stamford Bridge (stadium), in ...
on 22 September 2010, appearing in a right-wing berth, as Newcastle went on to triumph 4–3. He made his Premier League debut on 16 October, coming off the bench in the 89th minute in a 2–2 draw against
Wigan Athletic Wigan Athletic Football Club is a professional association football club based in Wigan, Greater Manchester, England. The team competes in the EFL League One, the third level of the English football league system. Founded in 1932, they have p ...
. He made a host of substitute appearances for Newcastle after that, notably in the 1–0 away win to
Arsenal An arsenal is a place where arms and ammunition are made, maintained and repaired, stored, or issued, in any combination, whether privately or publicly owned. Arsenal and armoury (British English) or armory (American English) are mostly ...
, when he turned past Arsenal defender
Laurent Koscielny Laurent Koscielny (born 10 September 1985) is a French former professional footballer who played as a centre back. He is currently the sporting director of Ligue 2 club Lorient. Born in Tulle, Koscielny began his football career playing for a ho ...
and was through on goal before the latter tugged him down and received a red card. Ranger signed a new -year contract on 3 December 2010, keeping him at the club until 2016. He also started several games after, for a while, being the club's only fit striker after the sale of
Andy Carroll Andrew Thomas Carroll (born 6 January 1989) is an English professional footballer who plays as a striker for Championnat National 2 club Bordeaux. He has played in the Premier League and English Football League for Newcastle United, Preston No ...
to
Liverpool Liverpool is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. It is situated on the eastern side of the River Mersey, Mersey Estuary, near the Irish Sea, north-west of London. With a population ...
and injuries to
Shola Ameobi Foluwashola "Shola" Ameobi (born 12 October 1981) is a Nigerian former professional footballer who played as a striker. He spent 14 years at Newcastle United, making 397 official appearances and scoring 79 goals, and received a winner's medal ...
and
Leon Best Leon Julian Brendan Best (born 19 September 1986) is a retired professional footballer who played as a striker. He has played for the Republic of Ireland national football team. Best represented Ireland at under-21 level and won his first full ...
. On 21 November 2011, having failed to appear for Newcastle in the season up to that date, Ranger signed on loan for Championship club
Barnsley Barnsley () is a market town in South Yorkshire, England. It is the main settlement of the Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley and the fourth largest settlement in South Yorkshire. The town's population was 71,422 in 2021, while the wider boroug ...
until 14 January 2012. In his fifth game for Barnsley, a 1–0 away defeat to
West Ham United West Ham United Football Club is a professional Association football, football club based in Stratford, London, Stratford, East London, England. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football league system, English f ...
on 17 December 2011, Ranger injured his foot. His loan was cut short and he returned to Newcastle. On 22 March 2012, he joined
Sheffield Wednesday Sheffield Wednesday Football Club is a professional association football club based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. They compete in the EFL Championship, the second level of the English football league system. Formed in 1867 as an off ...
in League One on loan until the end of the 2011–12 season. On 19 January 2013, Ranger criticised the Newcastle fans on
Twitter Twitter, officially known as X since 2023, is an American microblogging and social networking service. It is one of the world's largest social media platforms and one of the most-visited websites. Users can share short text messages, image ...
for booing the team off after a 2–1 home loss to fellow strugglers
Reading Reading is the process of taking in the sense or meaning of symbols, often specifically those of a written language, by means of Visual perception, sight or Somatosensory system, touch. For educators and researchers, reading is a multifacete ...
. He left Newcastle by mutual consent on 1 March 2013.


Swindon Town

Ranger joined
Swindon Town Swindon Town Football Club is a professional association football club based in Swindon, Wiltshire, England. The team, known as the "Robins", currently compete in , the fourth level of the English football league system. Founded as Swindon A ...
of League One on a one-year deal, with the option of a second, on 16 August 2013. He was signed despite his ongoing rape case. Ranger scored his first goal for Swindon on 27 August against
Queens Park Rangers Queens Park Rangers Football Club, commonly abbreviated to QPR, is a professional association football club based in Shepherd's Bush, West London, England. The team currently compete in the EFL Championship, the second level of the English f ...
in the League Cup and his first league goal in the following game four days later, a 5–0 home win against
Crewe Alexandra Crewe Alexandra Football Club is a professional association football club based in the town of Crewe, Cheshire, England. Its first team competes in League Two, the fourth level of the English football league system. Nicknamed 'The Railwaymen' ...
. He was a regular in the side until early November, scoring four more goals. On 14 November he failed to report to the club for training after being given a period of leave. He played one more game before again failing to turn up at the club. Manager Mark Cooper decided Ranger would not appear until he showed "respect for the team". In December Cooper said he would offload Ranger if he failed to train and because of his disciplinary record. On 3 January 2014, Swindon Town chairman
Lee Power Lee Michael Power (born 30 June 1972) is a former professional footballer and former chairman of Swindon Town. Born in England, his Irish ancestry allowed him to be capped by Republic of Ireland at youth, U21 and B levels. Power played in three ...
confirmed in a press conference that the club would be meeting with Ranger and his management in the following days to confirm his sacking due to his disrespect shown towards the club through constant absence during training. Power said "I'm the chairman of the club and I've got to do what's best for the club. Unfortunately, what's best for the club is having to sit down with Nile and talk about parting ways. While this is ongoing Nile is not training with the squad." He was soon recalled to the squad, scoring in a 2–1 win against
Peterborough United Peterborough United Football Club is a professional association football club based in Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, England. The team compete in League One, the third level of the English football league system. Peterborough United formed in ...
on 11 January. He continued to play throughout January and early February, scoring three more goals. On 14 February he suffered a
hamstring A hamstring () is any one of the three posterior thigh muscles in human anatomy between the hip and the knee: from medial to lateral, the semimembranosus, semitendinosus and biceps femoris. Etymology The word " ham" is derived from the Old ...
tear in a game against
Colchester United Colchester United Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Colchester, Essex, England. The team competes in , the fourth level of the English football league system. Founded in 1937, the club spent its ea ...
, his last game for Swindon. He had played 28 games in all competitions, scoring ten goals. His time with the club had been beset with disciplinary problems and issues with his private life and on 2 May 2014, Ranger and Swindon Town mutually agreed to terminate his contract with immediate effect.


Blackpool

On 16 August 2014 Ranger signed for
Blackpool Blackpool is a seaside town in Lancashire, England. It is located on the Irish Sea coast of the Fylde peninsula, approximately north of Liverpool and west of Preston, Lancashire, Preston. It is the main settlement in the Borough of Blackpool ...
of the Championship on a one-year deal. He scored against
Millwall Millwall is a district on the western and southern side of the Isle of Dogs, in east London, England, in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It lies to the immediate south of Canary Wharf and Poplar, north of Greenwich and Deptford, east of ...
on 30 August and against
Leeds United Leeds United Football Club is a professional football club based in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. The team compete in the Premier League, the top tier of the English football league system. Leeds United have won the League Championship th ...
on 8 November, both in defeats. After two more league appearances, he went
AWOL Desertion is the abandonment of a military duty or post without permission (a pass, liberty or leave) and is done with the intention of not returning. This contrasts with unauthorized absence (UA) or absence without leave (AWOL ), which ...
after being left out of the squad to face
Birmingham City Birmingham City Football Club is a professional football club based in Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, it was renamed Small Heath in 1888, Birmingham in 1905, and Birmingham City in 1943. The team compete in the ...
in early December. He claimed he had to return to London for "family issues". In late January 2015, Blackpool began to fine the striker for each day he was absent. In May 2015 Blackpool released 17 players following their relegation. They took up an option to extend Ranger's contract for another year. Despite saying he would return to the club for pre-season training in preparation for the 2015–16 season, he failed to do so until 28 July,"Nile Ranger finally returns to Blackpool training"
– ''Blackpool Gazette'', 28 July 2015
by which point Blackpool had played four friendlies. On 2 February 2016, Blackpool announced that Ranger had left the club.


Southend United

On 3 August 2016,
Southend United Southend United Football Club is a professional association football club based in Southend-on-Sea, Essex, England, which competes in the National League, the fifth level of English football. The team are known as "The Shrimpers", a reference ...
announced that they had signed Ranger on a one-year contract. He made his debut 13 days later in a 3–0 win at
Sheffield United Sheffield United Football Club is a professional football club based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. The club competes in the Championship, the second tier of English football. They are nicknamed "the Blades" due to Sheffield's history ...
, his first professional match since November 2014, but was substituted with an injury halfway through the first half. On 12 November, Ranger scored his first goals for the Shrimpers, one in each half of a 4–1 win over Bury at
Gigg Lane Gigg Lane is a football ground in Bury, Greater Manchester, England, built for Bury F.C. in 1885. The first match was played on 12 September 1885 between Bury and a team from Wigan. One of the world's oldest professional football stadiums, Gi ...
. On 1 December Ranger signed a new contract with Southend, committing him to the club until 2020. Ranger began the 2017–18 season having served time in prison for online banking fraud. On his release he was subject to a 7pm curfew meaning he could not play games with an evening kick-off. He was also
electronically tagged Electronic tagging is a form of surveillance that uses an electronic device affixed to a person. In some jurisdictions, an electronic tag fitted above the ankle is used for people as part of their bail or probation conditions. It is also used in ...
. On 22 September the tag was removed and Ranger was included in the squad to play an away game at
Fleetwood Fleetwood is a coastal town in the Borough of Wyre in Lancashire, England, at the northwest corner of the Fylde. It had a population of 25,939 at the 2011 United Kingdom census, 2011 census. Fleetwood acquired its modern character in the 1830 ...
. He scored in a 4–2 win; his controversial goal celebration involving removing his
boot A boot is a type of footwear. Most boots mainly cover the foot and the ankle, while some also cover some part of the lower calf. Some boots extend up the leg, sometimes as far as the knee or even the hip. Most boots have a heel that is clearl ...
and using it to mimic the action of someone using a machine gun. Ranger's contract with the club was terminated on 4 January 2018 because of "recurring disciplinary issues".


Spalding United

On 29 October 2020, after a stint at Barnet Sunday League side AC United, Ranger signed for
Northern Premier League The Northern Premier League is an English Association football, football league that was founded in 1968. Together with the Isthmian League and the Southern Football League, Southern League it forms levels seven and eight of the English footba ...
Division One South East club Spalding United. Two days later, he made his debut against
Belper Town Belper Town Football Club is a football club based in Belper, Derbyshire, England. They are currently members of the and play at Christchurch Meadow. The club are nicknamed the "Nailers" due to the town's nail-making industry. History The club ...
, scoring one and assisting another in the process.


Return to Southend United

In February 2021, Ranger returned to Southend United, signing on a month-by-month contract. His debut game on 27 February, during his second spell with Southend, lasted only 11 minutes. Coming on as a second-half substitute against Salford City, Ranger sustained a groin injury and was himself substituted off. His injury was so severe that he was reported as being unlikely to play for the remainder of the season. In May 2021, following Southend's relegation into the
National League National League often refers to: *National League (baseball), one of the two baseball leagues constituting Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada *National League (division), the fifth division of the English football (soccer) system ...
, manager Phil Brown revealed Southend had "severed all ties" with Ranger after the striker failed to attend physiotherapy sessions. Ranger himself claimed that Southend were not funding his travel to the sessions.


Boreham Wood

In December 2021, Ranger signed for
National League National League often refers to: *National League (baseball), one of the two baseball leagues constituting Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada *National League (division), the fifth division of the English football (soccer) system ...
club
Boreham Wood Borehamwood (, historically also Boreham Wood) is a town in southern Hertfordshire, England, from Charing Cross. Borehamwood has a population of 36,322, and is within the London commuter belt. The town's film and TV studios are commonly known ...
. His contract length was 'undisclosed'. He made his Boreham Wood debut on 6 December coming on as a late substitute in a 4–0 FA Cup second round win against St Albans City.


Kettering Town

On 9 September 2024, Ranger appeared for
Kettering Town Kettering Town Football Club is a football club based in Burton Latimer, Northamptonshire, England. They are currently members of the and play at Latimer Park. Kettering were the first club to wear sponsorship on their shirts in 1976, and have ...
Town in a 2–1 win against St Ives Town in the Southern League Premier Division Central, the seventh tier of English football. Kettering manager Richard Lavery confirmed to the press that Ranger had signed a deal with the club. In the next match, on 14 September against Cleethorpes Town in the FA Cup second qualifying round, Ranger scored the only goal as Kettering progressed to the next round. On 2 November 2024, Ranger scored in the second minute of extra-time to give Kettering a 2–1 win against
League One League One or League 1 may refer to: Association football * EFL League One, the third tier of football in England. * China League One, the second tier of football in China * K League 1, the top-tier football in South Korea * Lao League 1 * Lea ...
Northampton Town Northampton Town Football Club is a professional association football club based in the town of Northampton, England. The team competes in EFL League One, League One, the third level of the English football league system. Founded in 1897, the c ...
, four divisions higher in the
football pyramid Promotion and relegation is used by sports leagues as a process where teams can move up and down among divisions in a league system, based on their performance over a season. Leagues that use promotion and relegation systems are sometimes call ...
, in the first round of the
2024–25 FA Cup The 2024–25 FA Cup was the 144th season of the Football Association Challenge Cup, the oldest football tournament in the world. It was sponsored by Emirates and known as the Emirates FA Cup for sponsorship reasons. The FA Cup is the main domes ...
. The following week, having scored seven goals in ten games, Ranger signed a one-year extension to his contact with Kettering Town.


International career

Ranger made his debut for the England U19 team on 25 March 2009 against the
Czech Republic The Czech Republic, also known as Czechia, and historically known as Bohemia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the south ...
U19s. He got his first goal for the Under-19s in his second match, against
Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina, sometimes known as Bosnia-Herzegovina and informally as Bosnia, is a country in Southeast Europe. Situated on the Balkans, Balkan Peninsula, it borders Serbia to the east, Montenegro to the southeast, and Croatia to th ...
, with a headed effort. He helped his team to the final of the
UEFA U-19 Championship The UEFA European Under-19 Championship, or simply the Euro Under-19, is an annual football competition, contested by the European men's under-19 national teams of the UEFA member associations. Spain is the most successful team in this competit ...
but his team eventually lost the final to host nation
Ukraine Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the List of European countries by area, second-largest country in Europe after Russia, which Russia–Ukraine border, borders it to the east and northeast. Ukraine also borders Belarus to the nor ...
2–0 in
Donetsk Donetsk ( , ; ; ), formerly known as Aleksandrovka, Yuzivka (or Hughesovka), Stalin, and Stalino, is an industrial city in eastern Ukraine located on the Kalmius River in Donetsk Oblast, which is currently occupied by Russia as the capita ...
.


Legal history

In 2007, at the age of 15, Ranger was sentenced to 11 weeks in a Young Offenders Institute after being convicted of participating in street robbery in
Muswell Hill Muswell Hill is a suburban district of the London Borough of Haringey, north London. The hill, which reaches over above sea level, is situated north of Charing Cross. Neighbouring areas include Highgate, London, Highgate, Hampstead Garden ...
, London. In May 2011 Ranger was questioned by Newcastle after posing with a replica gun in a photograph. On 27 August 2011, he was arrested on suspicion of assaulting a man in Newcastle city centre, leaving the victim unconscious in the street. Ranger was subsequently dropped to Newcastle United's reserve team. He was found not guilty of the charge in October 2012. In October 2011 he was charged with being drunk and disorderly in Newcastle's Cathedral Square. The charge came only days after Ranger had been reinstated to Newcastle United's first-team training after a three-month exile in the club's reserves. In March 2012, he was fined by
The FA The Football Association (the FA) is the governing body of association football in England and the Crown Dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. Formed in 1863, it is the oldest football association in the world and is responsibl ...
for making
homophobic Homophobia encompasses a range of negative attitudes and feelings toward homosexuality or people who identify or are perceived as being lesbian, Gay men, gay or bisexual. It has been defined as contempt, prejudice, aversion, hatred, or ant ...
comments on social networking website
Twitter Twitter, officially known as X since 2023, is an American microblogging and social networking service. It is one of the world's largest social media platforms and one of the most-visited websites. Users can share short text messages, image ...
. In the early hours of 23 September 2012, police were called to a house in Enfield, north London after reports of a disturbance. The front door of the property was badly damaged and Ranger was arrested at the scene and later charged with
criminal damage Property damage (sometimes called damage to property) is the damage or destruction of real or tangible personal property, caused by negligence, willful destruction, or an act of nature. Destruction of property (sometimes called property dest ...
. The charge against Ranger was dropped that November after the court accepted his explanation that he had damaged the door after fearing his girlfriend was being kidnapped. On 25 January 2013, Ranger was arrested on suspicion of rape in a Newcastle hotel room. In connection with the same alleged offence, Ranger was charged with rape on 8 July 2013. On 4 March 2014, he was cleared of the charge at
Newcastle Crown Court The Newcastle Law Courts is a Crown Court venue, which deals with criminal cases, as well as a magistrates' court venue, on the Quayside in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. History Until the 1980s, all Crown Court cases were heard in the Moot Ha ...
. On 14 March 2013, Ranger was charged with common assault after an incident in Newcastle city centre. On 23 March 2014, Ranger was arrested on suspicion of causing criminal damage to a taxi in Liverpool. He later pleaded guilty to criminal damage and was fined £1,000 and was ordered to pay compensation to the taxi driver for breaking a window. Ranger said that he was enraged by being called a rapist by the driver. On 28 April 2014, Ranger was charged with criminal damage after an incident at a block of flats in Swindon on 13 April. He was later fined for damage to the door of his flat in relation to this incident which was captured on CCTV, in an incident where he additionally appeared to strike his female companion three times in the face. In May 2014, Ranger was found not guilty of being drunk in charge of his vehicle, after being found asleep in the driver's seat of his car on the
M4 motorway The M4, originally the London-South Wales Motorway, is the third longest motorway in the United Kingdom, running from west London to southwest Wales. The English section to the Severn Bridge was constructed between 1961 and 1971; the Welsh ele ...
. In December 2016, Ranger was charged with conspiracy to defraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering, in respect of offences alleged to have been committed in February 2015. In January 2017, he pleaded guilty to
conspiracy to defraud Conspiracy to defraud is an offence under the common law of England and Wales and Northern Ireland. England and Wales The standard definition of a conspiracy to defraud was provided by Lord Dilhorne in ''Scott v Metropolitan Police Commissioner' ...
at
Wood Green Crown Court Wood Green Crown Court is a Crown Court venue which deals with criminal cases on Lordship Lane, Wood Green, London, England. History The first building on the site was a mansion known as Lordship Lodge which was commissioned a shipbuilder, Jos ...
. On 23 May 2017, he was sentenced to eight months in prison. On 11 August 2017, he was released after 10 weeks of his sentence due to "his consistently excellent custodial behaviour", remaining under curfew for the next five weeks.


Career statistics


Honours

Newcastle United *
Football League Championship The English Football League Championship, known simply as the Championship and for sponsorship purposes as Sky Betting & Gaming, Sky Bet Championship, is a professional association football league in England and Wales. Contested by 24 clubs, i ...
: 2009–10 England U19 *
UEFA European Under-19 Championship The UEFA European Under-19 Championship, or simply the Euro Under-19, is an annual football competition, contested by the European men's under-19 national teams of the UEFA member associations. Spain is the most successful team in this competit ...
runner-up:
2009 2009 was designated as the International Year of Astronomy by the United Nations to coincide with the 400th anniversary of Galileo Galilei's first known astronomical studies with a telescope and the publication of Astronomia Nova by Joha ...


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Ranger, Nile 1991 births Living people Footballers from the London Borough of Haringey People from Wood Green Black British sportsmen English men's footballers Men's association football forwards Southampton F.C. players Newcastle United F.C. players Barnsley F.C. players Sheffield Wednesday F.C. players Swindon Town F.C. players Blackpool F.C. players Southend United F.C. players Spalding United F.C. players Boreham Wood F.C. players Kettering Town F.C. players Premier League players English Football League players English Sunday league players Northern Premier League players Southern Football League players England men's youth international footballers People acquitted of rape People acquitted of assault Criminals from London English fraudsters English prisoners and detainees British sportspeople convicted of crimes 21st-century English sportsmen