'I was a lunatic' - Former Newcastle United man Nile Ranger opens up on criminal past
A former Newcastle United striker has opened up in a candid interview.
Former Newcastle United striker Nile Ranger has opened up on his troubled past and turbulent career in an eye-opening interview in which he said he ‘messed it all up’.
Known more for his antics off the pitch than his contributions on it, Ranger expressed regret over his behaviour in his youth. He blames his criminal activity on the decline of his professional career, saying that if he had ‘behaved’ he would have ‘stayed at the top’.
He expressed regret for his former crimes, including armed robbery, saying he ‘wasn’t wanting to hurt’ his victims, stating that he and his friends were ‘acting like idiots’. Furthermore, he also said that ‘armed robbery is terrible’ and believes that he ‘must have caused people trauma’ with his actions.
What did Nile Ranger say in the interview?
In the interview with BBC Sport, Ranger said: “I had a decent career. I was on decent money and then I messed it all up. Teammates, friends and managers would say: 'Nile, your chances are going to run out'. I wouldn't listen. I was wild, wild, wild. I know I have baggage. If I had behaved I would have stayed at the top, but I was too unruly.”
Speaking on his criminal activity in his younger years, Ranger confessed: “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. 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.
“[My] 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.”
Speaking his time in prison following his conviction, he mused: “There was a lot of alone time. I was banged up for 23 hours a day. I didn't have any bad experiences but I heard about people being attacked in the showers, that kind of thing.”
On a possible return to football, Ranger said: “I could play in any team at my age if I'm fit - any team. It has to be a fit me, not a rusty me. But the rust is coming off. I still feel there is one big move left in me. I'm going to roll the dice one more time.”
Over the course of his professional career, Ranger featured for clubs such as (outside of Newcastle) Swindon Town, Blackpool and had two stints at Southend United. Currently, the former England U19s star plays for Kettering Town in the seventh tier of English football at the age of 33.