Ex-Newcastle United striker Nile Ranger has revealed Kevin Keegan once left him "s****ing it."
Once a promising Premier League prospect, the 32-year-old now finds himself without a club, following a tumultuous career across the football leagues. The last team he played for was National League side Boreham Wood back in 2022.
Ranger came through the ranks on Tyneside having moved their from Southampton's academy, making his Magpies senior debut back in 2009 against West Bromwich Albion. However, back in August 2008, Ranger was handed an opportunity by then Magpies boss Kevin Keegan to link up with the first-team for their trip to the Emirates to take on Arsenal.
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The game saw Newcastle handed a disappointing 3-0 defeat by the Gunners at the Emirates, with Keegan and co convincingly put to the sword in North London. Ranger was named on the bench alongside the likes of Joey Barton, but was an unused substitute.
However, prior to the game, Ranger almost missed out on the chance to make the Magpies bench, after he turned up late for a team meeting. Speaking to The Athletic in a wide ranging interview, where he also described himself as 'Haaland if crime hadn't killed his career', Ranger explained all, and how Keegan left him "s****ing himself".
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“I missed a meeting in a hotel, I came down, some of the players were tutting," began Ranger. "Keegan said, ‘If you are ever late again, I will pull your gold tooth out and you are going to go sell that. You will never have a contract, I will fine you your wages — this is your last time’.
"I was like, ‘F***ing hell’. I was s****ing it. So I wasn’t late again. I was on the bench against Arsenal, I was looking at Robin van Persie, Michael Owen, I was like, ‘Oh my god’. It was like a dream."
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Ranger also reckons he should be playing in the Championship too, despite not having played in the second tier of English football since 2015. He added: "I didn’t take in the advice. I should be minimum Championship right now.
"I shouldn’t be having problems, but I didn’t listen. If I added nutrition to my game and behaviour, I’m [Erling] Haaland. But I didn’t want to listen. I thought I knew it all."
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