Nile Ranger has had his Southend United contract terminated for the most predictable reason imaginable.
The forward has done absolutely nothing to distance himself from the controversy which seems to follow him to every club and, on Wednesday, a decision was made to let Ranger go due to “reoccurring disciplinary issues.”
Ranger, who previously played for Newcastle United in the Premier League, was sentenced to eight months in prison in May after admitting to an online banking fraud in which a woman lost in excess of £2,000.
In 2017 alone, Ranger was investigated over a tweet to former teammate Cheick Tiote which was sent while Ranger was in prison while he also found himself in hot water over a goal celebration the day after he had his electronic tag removed.
He's been left out of the game entirely https://t.co/lK5KakHmyf
— FootballJOE (@FootballJOE) September 21, 2017
It was always understood that Southend were taking something of a risk when they signed the former England U19 international in 2016 and, having failed to convince the League One club of his reliability, Ranger was sacked this week.
“The club has terminated the player’s contract in accordance with the terms of the agreement,” a statement said.
“This decision was taken following reoccurring disciplinary issues, including timekeeping, which undermine both the unity of the group and the management.
“In many ways it is regrettable, having worked closely with Nile over the past 18 months.
“However, the interests of the club are paramount and the board will never allow those objectives to be undermined.”
