SWINDON Town goalkeeper Wes Foderingham has asked the Robins fans to give troubled striker Nile Ranger the chance to rebuild his career at the Country Ground.

Ranger signed a one-year deal with the Wiltshire side on Friday before making his debut away at Shrewsbury the following day, but is due in court on Wednesday on a rape charge.

Foderingham has known the 22-year-old for a number of years and the pair have been on England Under 19 duty together, and the stopper would like the Robins fans to give the striker the chance to prove himself as he bids to change his ways.

“As a person he’s a very happy person who’s easy to get one with and likes a laugh with the boys,” he said.

“As a player on the pitch he brings a physical presence we haven’t got at the moment because he can hold it up and that can give us a plan B if we need it. He’s quick on the turn and can score goals and is good with the ball at his feet too.

“He will be the first to hold his hands up and say he has done things wrong, but he’s still a young guy and with time and support of the fans he can turn it around.

“Support is the main thing because he is young and will make mistakes, and people getting on top of him and hounding him for it isn’t going to help.

“He knows he needs to change and he’s looking to change his ways and start fresh here, and I would just ask everyone to give him a chance.

“We spoke and I told him the club would be perfect for him because it’s a settled family club and if he comes in with the right mentality, I’m sure he will be welcomed just like I was when I first moved here.”

Foderingham admitted his side always faced an uphill battle to get back into the defeat at Shrewsbury after Grant Hall lost possession from Yaser Kasim’s loose pass to gift the hosts their opener.

"We started slow and weren't quick enough, and we thought it would just happen for us," he said.

"We are going to concede goals like that given the way we play, although if it happens every week it's going to be a problem, but the ball across wasn't a great ball square across the back and we were asking for trouble with that.

"From there it was an uphill battle for us to come back from going 1-0 down.

“I felt exposed for both goals but it’s one of those things and although we might have come away with a draw if we hadn’t made those mistakes, we have to move on now.”