Revealed: Football's 10 biggest troublemakers who were great on the pitch but bad boys off it

As Southend United finally see sense and sack the odious Nile Ranger, we wonder how the talent-waster rates as a football bad boy?

Obnoxious Ranger’s “poor timekeeping” – which was actually not attending training at all at times and turning up to matches nearly an hour late – has seen the Shrimpers finally admit defeat with the troubled defence tormenter.

Before you start to feel a smattering of sympathy for the former Newcastle United player, keep in mind that when he was asked in court what his professional was, he actually responded by saying “gangster”.

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His ‘best bits’, as he called them, includes serving time for fraud, posing with a gun on social media while in the Premier League, as well as going AWOL for eight months when at Blackpool.

Ranger even posted a mocking picture of his shock contract extension on Instagram, saying he was ‘baffled’ by his new deal after going on strike.

The loathsome yet talented 26-year-old has also been involved in a robbery and violence – but how does he compare to football’s other wrong’uns who have dropped the ball off the pitch as well as on it?

10: Vinnie Jones

The now-Hollywood star is one of the game’s best-known bad boys. Not only did he hand out a couple of slaps on the pitch, he had more red cards than goals and was the chief antagonist of Wimbledon’s notorious Crazy Gang – those car-burning, clothes-shredding, privates-grabbing hell raisers.

9: Roy Keane

He’s got to make the top 10. Although his off-field behaviour wasn’t too bad, he did walk out on his country before a World Cup. His long-running feud with Alf-Inge Haaland left many angry at the Manchester United great – seen as an act of revenge – which all-but ended, then ruined, a career and lacked any kind of remorse.

8: Lee Bowyer

Claims his bad boy image isn’t fair, but the evidence is stacking up. Scrapping with team-mate Kieron Dyer on the pitch when at Newcastle was poor, and he averaged a card every 3.9 games. In 2001, he was accused of attacking an Asian student before a foul-letter blast at a grandmother during a game at West Brom years later.

7: John Terry

A great player, but not beloved outside of Stamford Bridge. The Chelsea legend has, of course, been ‘linked’ with the partners of team-mates, parked in more than one disabled bay, urinated into a pint glass in a nightclub and was accused of racism.

6: Mario Balotelli

One of the great modern day myths is confusing this guy with a top-quality footballer. He wasn’t and never will be – but he is great entertainment. Letting off fireworks in his hours, firing pistols at unsuspecting team-mates, involved in numerous training ground bust-ups, trying to score with a pirouette in pre-season and gatecrashing press conferences. The life and crimes of Mad Mario surely has even more to offer.

5: Delroy Facey

Not a household name, but he went off the rails big-time. The former Bolton, Wolves and West Brom midfielder went down in 2016 after he was convicted of conspiring to bribe players in a match-fixing plot.

4: Stan Collymore

Once labelled the biggest screw-up of his generation, the very talented former Aston Villa striker’s career went into freefall when he allegedly struck celebrity girlfriend Ulrika Jonsson, who described him as a monster in her tell-all book. Hit by depression, Collymore has rebuilt his life and is now a well-respected presenter.

3: Luis Suarez

What a player, but not all there. The now-Barcelona star was charged with biting an opponent not once, but twice, and received an eight-match ban for racially abusing Manchester United full-back Patrice Evra.

2: Joey Barton

Where to start? Using a young player as a makeshift ashtray, storming out of Manchester City’s stadium after being dropped, dropping his shorts at Everton, charged with assault, beat up a team-mate and was banned for betting. Now the voice of a generation on Twitter.

1: Marlon King

Good goalscorer, bad human being. It’s a long list and, in no particular order, the journeyman striker has been in hot water for: speeding, dangerous driving, sexual assault, punching a woman, headbutting a team-mate, theft, fraud and receiving stolen goods. He’s been to prison three times. Nice bloke!