Ex-Newcastle striker Ranger signs for Kettering

Nile Ranger played his last game for Boreham Wood in the FA Cup against Everton in March 2022

Former Premier League striker Nile Ranger has joined Southern League side Kettering Town.

The 33-year-old had been without a club since January 2023, last featuring as a substitute in Boreham Wood's FA Cup loss to Everton 10 months earlier.

Prior to that he had two spells at Southend United, the first of which ended because of "reoccurring disciplinary issues".

The former Newcastle academy graduate made his first appearance for Kettering during their 2-1 win against St Ives Town in the seventh tier on Monday.

"It was his first game, he hadn't met the lads. He's come in out of the cold, he's not played for a while,” Kettering manager Richard Lavery told BBC Radio Northampton.

"You could see in the first half he was rusty, in the second half he turned up.

"There's a lot more to come from him, he hasn't played at those levels for nothing, has he?"

Ranger scored 25 goals in 147 appearances in the top four tiers of English football.

Kettering played in the top level of non-league football for many years.

In 1974, they were only six votes short of a place in the Football League, back when the bottom four clubs in the old Fourth Division - now League Two - had to apply for re-election.

Previous managers of The Poppies include Derek Dougan, Ron Atkinson and former England star Paul Gascoigne, who was sacked after 39 days.