Nile Ranger pleads for one last chance to prove his worth
Monday 19 October 2015 08:30, UK
Nile Ranger is convinced he can still make his mark on the football pitch - if one more club will take a chance on him.
Ranger, who made 51 appearances for Newcastle over four seasons, was convicted of common assault in 2013 and last year he was fined £1,000 for criminal damage after smashing the window of a taxi.
He went AWOL from Blackpool for eight months last season after a dispute with the club and is now training on his own in north London.
Ranger, who also had a spell with Swindon Town two seasons ago, told Sky Sports News HQ: "I feel like I have let myself down. I have been to jail when I was young and I learnt from that and it sounds crazy but I have learnt from that.
"Senior players and manager were telling me to focus because it is a short career and it does not last forever and you need to understand this but in my head I thought 'This is going to last forever'. But I now realise they were right. I was looking in the mirror saying 'You are an idiot. Take it seriously. This is your life.'
"While I have been in London two of my friends have passed and that has been a real eye opener and when I saw that I thought 'Wow this is real life, this is crazy'.
"I've had more chances than a cat but the penny has dropped now and I am ready to work."
