Southend take a gamble on ex-Newcastle striker Nile Ranger with one-year deal
But Shrimpers boss Phil Brown warns controversial former England Under 19 star to 'keep his nose clean'
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NILE RANGER has been handed another chance to prove he can hack it as professional footballer on and off the field.
But after landing a deal until the end of the season by Southend United, boss Phil Brown has warned the controversial ex-Newcastle striker to “keep his nose clean”.
Ranger, 25, was shown the door at the Toon after a series of setbacks and off the field issues.
But after failed moves to Blackpool and Swindon, and failing to land a deal at Rotherham he has landed himself another chance at Roots Hall after a successful trial and will wear the No 50 shirt.
Said Brown: “There’s two or three reasons why we’ve chosen to extend Nile’s deal.
“First and foremost there is a footballer in there which we identified at the start and that’s the reason he came through the door on trial.
“Secondly we have a contract that safeguards us as a football club, but also safeguards Nile if he keeps his nose clean and performs well on the pitch.
“But the bottom line is, he’s come in as an option up front which is totally different from what we’ve got at this moment in time in terms of playing style.
“Nile is a big No 9 for me, he’s 6ft 3ins tall and is a big unit of a lad who can control the ball and play the kind of football that only some people can dream about.
“So if we can get that out of him next season, then we’ve certainly got a strike force to be reckoned with.”
Back in 2019 England Under 19 forward Ranger earned himself a 5½-year deal at Newcastle, having just starred in wins at Chelsea and Arsenal.
But just a few months ago after countless brushes with the law and court appearances he was on the soccer scrapheap, living with his mum in North London and desperate to be offered a route back into the game.
Ranger, whose ex-England youth teammates include current stars Danny Welbeck and Danny Drinkwater, knows he only has himself to blame and has tried to live a cleaner life.
Ranger gave up alcohol after hitting the headlines while at Swindon in April 2014,when he was caught on CCTV kicking down the door to his flat and appearing to hit a female friend.
That incident came just over a month after Ranger had been cleared of rape.
As well as cutting out the booze, Ranger “finished” with tattoos – his 50-plus inkings include his surname on the side of his face and a smiley face on the inside of his bottom lip.
The man who has also been on loan at Sheffield Wednesday and Barnsley told SunSport in March: “Obviously I’ve not helped myself in certain situations.
“But I’m not the devil, I’m a good person, ready to get my head down and work.”