Nile Ranger

Newcastle United

In July 2008, Ranger joined Newcastle United at the invitation of director of football Dennis Wise. Ranger made his academy debut against Leicester City on 23 August 2008 and made his debut for the reserve team against Sunderland at St James' Park 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 rewarded by then-manager Alan Shearer with a new and improved three-and-a-half-year contract. Ranger's senior debut came as an added-time substitute for Shola Ameobi against West Bromwich Albion in the Championship on 8 August 2009. He made his first senior start against Leicester City on 31 August, where he won the man of the match 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 on 9 December, after coming on as a substitute for Peter Løvenkrands. Ranger scored the second of his two league goals that season in a 2–0 home win against Crystal Palace on 27 January 2010, as Newcastle ended the season as champions and were promoted to the Premier League. After appearing as an unused substitute in the first two Premier League games for Newcastle, he started in the Football League Cup wins over Accrington Stanley and Chelsea. He scored the first…

Ranger made his debut for the England U19 team on 25 March 2009 against the Czech Republic U19s. He got his first goal for the Under-19s in his second match, against Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a headed effort. He helped his team to the final of the UEFA U-19 Championship but his team eventually lost the final to host nation Ukraine 2–0 in Donetsk.

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, 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 for making homophobic comments on social networking website Twitter. 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. 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…

Born in Wood Green in North London, Ranger attended Alexandra Park School. He began his football career at Crystal Palace's academy, before being released at the age of 12. Following his time at Crystal Palace, Ranger played in the youth systems at Haringey Borough and Romford. He was with the Protec Football Development School for a few weeks before being scouted by Southampton. 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 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 after a successful trial before Newcastle United signed him.