Former Premier League badboy is released from prison and heads straight to training
Former Premier League boy Nile Ranger has already started training with Southend after being released from prison.
The former Newcastle forward served just ten weeks of an eight month sentence, and will hope to rebuild his caeer at the club.
As reported in the Sun, Ranger was jailed in May for his part in a banking fraud.
The controversial forward wasted little time in announcing his release. Ranger tweeted, “Thank god all the support I had backing me FAMILY AND SOUTHEND UNITED.. Phil brown, Ron Martin… and MY agent and SQUAD!!!”
Southend quickly put out a statement, clarifying their position. “Nile was eligible for early release under the HDC (Home Detention Curfew) Scheme, due to the short duration of his sentence and his consistently excellent custodial behaviour. Nile may regard himself as fortunate but will remain under an evening home curfew for the next 5 to 6 weeks.”
Ranger has previously been in prison for armed robbery, acquitted of rape, and forced to apologise whilst at Newcastle for posing with a replica gun.
After he missed training at Blackpool for eight months, the Daily Mail labelled Ranger, “The most obnoxious footballer in Britain.
Ranger’s record of starting his first 18 Premier League games from the bench was equalled last season by Chelsea forward Michy Batshuayi.
The 26 year old has vowed to put his troubled past behind him. ““I woke up one morning in the summer and thought ‘What am I doing?’, he told the Sun last season.
“I looked in the mirror and I saw myself getting a bit of belly. I remember going for a hill run and playing Powerleague with my mates and I was blowing after one run. I said, ‘Nah, I’ve got to sort it out’. I believe I’ve grown up now.”
