Nile Ranger reflects, saying ‘I’d still be playing in the Premier League if I had behaved’

Nile Ranger reflects on his past behaviour, saying in an interview ‘I’d still be playing in the Premier League if I had behaved’.

Once a promising young striker and had been making appearance for Newcastle United, he now looks back on messing that all up, feeling a mix of regret and is now giving cautionary advice, hoping others don’t do the same mistakes as what he.

Ranger earned a lucrative contract at Newcastle at just 19 years old, impressing having scored over 20 goals for Newcastle’s youth and reserve teams in the 2008-09 season before making his senior debut.

Then off-field issues, including legal troubles, an armed robbery at the age of 15, being in a young offenders’ institute.

Homophobic remarks were published online, he was photographed with a replica handgun, battled a gambling addiction, saw his contract torn up by several clubs over disciplinary issues, was charged with assault, criminal damage and being drunk and disorderly.

He has served two jail sentences, one for armed robbery.

As a player for Southend United in 2017, he wore an electronic tag on his left ankle having been released from prison having served 10 weeks for online banking fraud.

Despite his talent, Ranger’s behavioural problems led to a decline in his professional standing, dropping down the leagues and even then had trouble, including absences from training.

Now at 33, Ranger plays for Kettering Town in the seventh tier of English football, getting set to take on Farsley Celtic in the FA Cup fourth qualifying round this weekend.

In the Southern League – Premier Central, Kettering are 3rd with 17 points from 9 games played.

They sit two points behind leaders Stamford, and a point behind second place Bedford Town, but Kettering have played a game less than them. Telford (4th), Halesowen (5th) also have 17 points, Telford played 9, Halesowen played 11.

Ranger has expressed regret over his life choices, acknowledging that had he managed his behaviour, he might still be playing in the Premier League.

He is now using his experience as a lesson for others, speaking to students and young people about avoiding the mistakes he made.

He’s also involved in running a football academy, aiming to mentor and guide young talents differently than his path.

Despite his career not reaching its initial promise, Ranger’s involvement in community work and his statements suggest a desire for redemption and change.

His focus now seems split between playing football at a lower level and influencing youth positively, using his past as a warning.

On wanting to make some quick money, Nile said to BBC Sport: “We weren’t going around shooting or stabbing people. We wanted to get some quick money so we said: ‘Let’s just take phones off people.’

“One of our entourage had a knife but I don’t know why because he wasn’t using it. We were acting like idiots.

“Armed robbery is terrible. I wasn’t wanting to hurt them,” adds Ranger. “I was just thinking about getting the goods and running off.

“Now I’m older, I do think I must have caused people trauma. At times I was a lunatic. I don’t know what else to call it.”

He was at Crystal Palace aged 10, only to get released two years later for bad behaviour at school then aged 15 he ended up in a young offenders’ institute for 11 weeks for his role in an armed robbery.

He earned £110-a-week player at Southampton’s academy at the time of being sentenced, the Saints stuck by him after he was released.

“My mum has had to come to meetings at every club I have been at to discuss my behaviour,” he says. “It’s been like that since my schooldays.”

Southampton could no longer support him, as his bad behaviour continued, this time because he stole boots, training kit and a box of chocolates from a staff member.

On his Dad: “He was around but I lived with my mum. Dad was in my life but what is he going to do? Punch me in the face? He could only speak to me.

“I’m my own man and he used to try to talk sense into me but I just didn’t listen.”

He went to Swindon on trial, prior to a move to Newcastle, a 2 year contract, £20,000 signing-on fee as a 17 year old.

“I went from nothing to something.”

He got a warning from Magpies boss Kevin Keegan, oversleeping but was still named on the bench for the Premier League fixture away at Arsenal in 2008.

‘Listen, if you’re late again I’ll make you pull out your gold tooth and sell it’,” said Ranger.

“He still named me on the bench. It was a different world.

“I’d not been long out of the young offenders’ institute – now I was getting changed next to Michael Owen.”

His time was soon to come to an end, angering the Newcastle fanbase, was booed, he published a photo on social media, spelling his name out in £20 notes.

Then came the FA fine in which he posted homophobic remarks online, before posing for a photo with a replica handgun.

While also having a gambling problem, he was issued with a six-month conditional discharge for being drunk and disorderly in Newcastle.

He said, per The Athletic: “I was doing some mad things. It was bad what I was doing. The chairman (Mike Ashley) tried to help and to stop me from going to casinos. I was going to casinos every single day. I tried it, I started getting hooked.

“Derek Llambias (then-managing director) phoned me one day and said, ‘We need to have a meeting’. He said, ‘We’re taking it out of your hands — we’ve been hearing you’re going to casinos every day. You’re banned as we own them… you’ll thank me in the long run’. I was borrowing money off people, including Coloccini.

“One time, my mum and my sister said, ‘You’ve done £32,000 in the space of two months’. That’s when it hit me hard. My mum said I had to stop.

“I’m an addictive personality. I got addicted to it, that feeling of winning would be outrageous, that adrenaline was crazy. I thank God for my mum because there were times I was getting big money each month and she was like, ‘I’m taking this’. She dealt with everything.”

To BBC Sport, he said: “I wasn’t used to money. I was trying to fit in [with other players] but fitting in got me addicted. I ended up in Tony Adams’ place, external [Sporting Chance].

“People would cut their leg off for the opportunity I had.

“I would bring all my friends up to Newcastle [from London] for parties. I had more money than sense. There was no discipline from me. I was living life in the fast lane.”

In 2009, Hughton, then-Newcastle manager, met with Ranger’s mum over off-pitch problems: “Chris Hughton would say to me ‘you need to focus, you need to tell all your friends to go back to London’ because we used to cause havoc in Newcastle.

“He used to sit me down and say: ‘You need to take this chance.’ I respected him. He looked out for me. My mum actually saw him in Nando’s the other day.

“She sent me a selfie of them together smiling. I told her to tell him to say hello.”

Nile: In my time, I’ve had lots of baggage. So teams are like, yeah, he’s a good player, great player, but off the field, we just don’t know what he’s gonna do.

Reporter: Nile Ranger has a chequered past. The former Premier League striker has been given plenty of chances. This could be his last with Kettering Town in the 7th tier of English football.

Nile: I’ve come to enjoy my football again. Been out for 20 months. It’s been a long time. I know I can do it, but it’s just like showing everyone I have to do it. And for myself.

Reporter: Ranger has had numerous disciplinary problems on and off the pitch throughout his career. He’s been to jail and admits he’s done wrong.

Nile: I was in the paper week in week out, for wrong things. Do you know what I’m saying? It’s part of the journey, I guess what I do have regrets, when you’re quite young as well and you ain’t really got guidance and people tried, but it will go in one ear and out the other, but I’ll be like, I’m the man. You can’t really tell me nothing like, it was quite arrogant of me, to be fair, because I’m not really arrogant.

Reporter: So when you had your low moments, the moments when you got arrested or put in jail, can you account for why you did what you did?

Nile: Nah, I just feel like I was just following the crowd, being a silly youngster. I just would be like. I wouldn’t have. Like I said, discipline is the main thing. Didn’t have none of it. You just got no freedom. You’re getting banged up for 23 hours a day. Silly man. It’s rubbish.

Reporter: Since his arrival at Kettering, Ranger has scored five goals in his first five games this weekend. He’s trying to help them reach the first round of the FA Cup since 2011.

Manager Richard Lavery: Obviously, Nile is a great addition to the squad. Obviously he’s played in the premiership, he’s had some great times and hopefully he can take us further in the FA Cup.

Reporter: He’s obviously got a bit of a reputation there as well, hasn’t he? Was that ever a factor for you? Is that ever a concern?

Manager: No, not really, no. I just. People, the way I see him. So since he’s coming, he’s been fine. Like, you know, the lads, he’s been good around the place and obviously he scored five in five, so he’s done well, for sure.

Reporter: And when you see younger footballers today, do they still need that guidance? Do they still need some?

Nile: Of course they do. Like, obviously, like I said, I feel like I paved the way for a few, like in the top leagues now because they’ll be like, listen, you’re going off track. Do you remember Nile Ranger? Like, oh yeah, I know of him. It’s kind of like they would be like, yeah, I don’t want to end up kind of dropping and getting in trouble. How he did. Make sure you eat right, sleep right, you do all the right things, but Just don’t take the mick. Don’t take it too far.

Reporter: Do you have the head for it though?

Nile: I think I feel like I do. For me this is a big statement cause obviously everyone says that’s not your level. That’s not your level Kettering. You’re way higher than that. But It’s like I wanted to play football again, so it’s not about the level. I just wanted to show everyone I can still do it and myself.