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Striker Newcastle released for free says he’s actually a better player than Ivan Toney

Charles Jones

Tue 15 April 2025 9:15, UK

Newcastle United have had some top strikers over the years.

Alan Shearer is an all-time great of the game, Alexander Isak is one of the best in the world right now.

Beyond that, Demba Ba was brilliant for Newcastle for a time, while Les Ferdinand was a top-class goalscorer on Tyneside too.

Now, speaking on Filthy Fellas, another former Newcastle striker has made quite the claim about his own ability.

Indeed, Nile Ranger has claimed that he’s actually a better striker than Ivan Toney having played alongside him at Newcastle for a period.

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Nile Ranger says he’s better than Ivan Toney

Ranger spoke about his own ability, claiming that he’s better than Toney.

The striker says he came to this realisation last year after Toney was linked with Arsenal.

According to the Kettering Town ace, penalties aside, he believes he’s a better player than Toney.

“His penalty taking, it’s cold. But you see, hold up and all that. If I behave myself, let me just break it down,” Ranger said.

“I’m better than Ivan.”

“I swear to you, when I saw that, Ivan Toney, I sat in my car like this and said, because I know him, he’s cool, isn’t he? Like, I’m not gonna rub it like this and it’s cold. Best penalty taker I’ve ever seen.”

“I looked at myself like, Arsenal want Ivan Toney? And I am better than Ivan Toney.

“I swear to you, I’m not even joking.

“Yeah, I was ahead of him, but then he started just, then he went to Peterborough, and started banging off then. All right, Ivan Toney, don’t ever get it twisted, but I swear down, if it’s not penalties, I’m better than him.”

Nile Ranger compared to Ivan Toney

Ranger genuinely does seem to believe he’s a better player than Toney, but the stats tell a wildly different story.

Indeed, these two players have had wildly different career paths, Ranger is currently playing for Kettering in non-league, while Toney is earning a fortune over in Saudi Arabia.

Toney was linked to Chelsea in the summer, while Ranger hasn’t kicked a Premier League football in more than a decade.

Of course, there’s an argument to be made about certain players having natural ability and a lack of work ethic – Ravel Morrison was supposed to be a superstar at one point too, but for Ranger to say that he’s a better striker than Toney is quite the leap considering how the two players’ careers have gone.

Newcastle would release Ranger in 2013, and since then, the striker’s career hasn’t quite recovered as he’s dropped further and further down the pyramid.