NILE RANGER found himself confined in prison, feeling nauseous after eating improperly cooked chicken while watching cockroaches skitter through the cracks of his cell walls.

The 33-year-old former Newcastle striker was sentenced to time at Pentonville in north London in 2017 after pleading guilty to online banking fraud.

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Two years before, he had intended to swindle over £2,000 from a woman.

This marked a dramatic fall from grace for a player who once boasted 26 Premier League appearances for the Geordies, only to sink through the ranks.

Ranger traded a life of training and competing alongside stars like Michael Owen, Fabricio Coloccini, and Andy Carroll for time among criminals bragging about their heinous acts, including stuffing someone into a car boot after disfiguring them!

This Sunday, however, he will step back onto the field with Southern Premier Kettering, hoping to create some FA Cup magic as they take on League Two Doncaster — having triumphed in the previous round by defeating League One Northampton.

To assert that Ranger exemplifies everything young professionals should NOT strive for would be an understatement.

He disclosed to SunSport: “Prison was horrific, teeming with the wrong crowd, and it’s not an environment for someone with a sound mind.

“I managed to keep my composure compared to those people. I was merely foolish, reckless, and undisciplined.

“There was one individual who boasted about having shoved someone into a car boot and cutting off their fingers.

“I overheard plans for murders and armed robberies for when they got released.

“There were stabbings reported in the showers, and drugs and phones were being flown in via drones. It was a nightmare.”

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Though he received an eight-month sentence at Wood Green Crown Court in one of Britain’s most notorious jails, Ranger was released early after a mere 10 weeks for good behavior — though he still wore an electronic tag to track his location.

Ranger recounted: “Cockroaches crawled through the gaps in the cell walls and door.

“We had to stuff those openings with towels, and every time I squashed a cockroach, new ones would emerge from the eggs they laid. Mice were also scurrying around. It was disgusting.

“The food was appalling. I’m almost certain that chicken was undercooked.

“I was confined for 23 hours a day — using the only hour outside my cell for exercise and showering.

“Some of the guards were arrogant, trying to belittle me. They were jealous because I was a footballer. But I didn’t let it bother me.

“I focused on escaping and kept repeating to myself, ‘I’m only going to be here for two or three months, and then I’ll get back to playing football.’

“During my time at Southend, they continued to pay my wages even while I was incarcerated, which kept me motivated when the guards were attempting to demean me.

“I felt my sentence was excessive. Others have committed far worse and received only suspended sentences.

“I suspect the judge had made his decision over dinner with his wife the night before he sentenced me.”

Continued Missteps

Ranger acknowledges he wasted his remarkable talent and realizes that he could have had a successful Premier League career had he been more committed.

Nonetheless, he continually stumbled — despite numerous chances.

Shortly after his arrival at Southampton from Crystal Palace as a youth, he was imprisoned for 11 weeks due to his involvement in an armed robbery.

Southampton supported him initially but eventually lost patience after he made off with his entire academy team’s kit and a box of chocolates from the kit manager.

He reflected: “I can’t explain why I took the chocolates, but we had been informed we could take some kit. The season had ended, and Southampton was ordering us new ones.

“I had friends back in North London who were big football fans, so I took everything — all the kits and boots. I was caught on camera, and Southampton terminated my contract.”

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Nevertheless, Ranger had a stroke of luck when Newcastle signed him and, despite breaking into the starting lineup and helping the club achieve promotion from the Championship in 2010, he sabotaged his own success with ongoing disciplinary issues.

His gambling addiction led the club to ban him from every casino in Newcastle. He frequently arrived late to training or was absent altogether.

Kevin Keegan expressed his frustration with Ranger, threatening to sell his gold tooth if he showed up late again, insisting that his salary wouldn’t cover any fines.

Chris Hughton, who arranged a meeting with Ranger and his mother, and Alan Pardew, who sent him to train with the academy team until he improved his punctuality, both tried to salvage his career before Pardew ultimately decided to let him go.

Swindon, Blackpool, and Southend (twice) took chances on him, but none proved fruitful — after a stint with National League club Boreham Wood, he disappeared from the sport for 20 months before joining Kettering in September.

As an aspiring 18-year-old at Newcastle, he earned nearly £10,000 a week — and he admits he’d be destitute today without the support of his cherished mother, Karen.

He remarked: “When I was making what I was, I took it for granted and wasted it.

“My mum secured some property investments. I should have achieved so much more. If it weren’t for her, I’d be left with nothing now.

“I have some funds to sustain myself but can’t afford anything extravagant.

“My mum has always been there for me, and out of everyone I’ve let down through my behavior, she’s the one I regret hurting the most — just like the rest of my family.”

Promise of Celebration

Since becoming a father, Ranger believes he has matured. He has a three-year-old son, Aziel, and although he has parted ways with the mother, he is committed to being a responsible dad.

Even though playing for seventh-tier Kettering is a far cry from the peaks he once scaled, he still feels he can compete in League One or League Two.

Currently, he hopes to assist the Poppies in achieving promotion this season, as well as deter young people from making the same mistakes he did, while also inspiring criminals serving their sentences to turn their lives around.

He stated: “Prison is meant to be a facility for rehabilitation. I saw none of that happening. In fact, it can worsen people’s conditions.

“I acknowledge that I’m not a positive role model for football — but I am a role model, someone who has made countless mistakes but can guide others on what NOT to do.

“I’ve already spoken to some young aspirants at an academy. I’ve received invitations to schools and prisons. I wish to utilize my experiences to help others.

“However, my immediate focus is on enjoying the latter phase of my career and hopefully pulling off another FA Cup surprise.”

Moreover, Ranger has made a vow: if he scores against Doncaster, he will do something memorable on live television.

He remarked: “I have a smiley emoji tattoo on my lower lip. I plan to run to a TV camera and show off my happy lip!”

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