Newcastle United striker Nile Ranger has been handed a 12-month conditional discharge after being found guilty of two counts of assault by beating against police officers.

The 21-year-old was hit with the charge during a night out in Newcastle city centre in August last year, when he is believed to have been approached by a group of men taunting racial slurs at the forward.

Newcastle Crown Court heard that the forward was acting in self-defence when he punched two of the men, clearing him of two counts of bodily harm.

While those counts were dropped, the frontman was deemed guilty for hitting two police officers when they were trying to break up the fracas.

Ranger was also told to pay £750 each to the officers in question.