Nile Ranger: Former Newcastle United striker signs for Sunday League side AC United

Nile Ranger (right) made 51 league appearances for Newcastle, 46 of which were from the bench

Former Premier League striker Nile Ranger has signed for Sunday League side AC United.

News that the ex-Newcastle, Blackpool and Swindon Town forward, who last played league football for Southend in 2018, had joined the club was announced on Twitter.

Ranger, 29, could play in the Premier Division of the Barnet Sunday League just two years after he starred in League One, the third tier of English football.

League secretary John Eager said: "I think the registration secretary must have just clicked approve, not thinking anything of it.

"If you said 'Nile Ranger' to me, I would have told you he was the geezer I used to sign with League Two teams on Fifa when I was trying to get them promoted.

"It slipped through the net. I think it's come off the back of a five-a-side league folding. It was shut down because of coronavirus because you can't have indoor sports anymore. I think the players from that team have joined the 11-a-side team.

"It's really exciting to be attracting these sort of guys that want to play in our league. I think we both know he's probably not going to turn up every week but it just goes to show that Sunday league is going up a level. A lot more people are taking a lot more interest in it."

Ranger represented England at under-19 level but has been troubled by disciplinary problems throughout his career and was jailed in 2017 after admitting online banking fraud.

Southend terminated his contract in January 2018 after more disciplinary issues