SOUTHEND United manager Phil Brown has defended Nile Ranger’s goal celebration in this afternoon’s 4-2 win at Fleetwood Town.

Ranger pretended to use his right boot as a gun after putting Blues 3-1 up from the penalty spot at the Highbury Stadium.

But Brown felt there was nothing wrong with Ranger’s antics.

“It was to do with fire in his belly and fire or bullets being in his boots,” said Brown.

“It was nothing untoward and he’s probably been planning it for a couple of a months because he’s had a lot of time on his own to be thinking about what to do!”

Fleetwood’s official Twitter account said Ranger had imitated shooting the crowd with his celebration.

But the tweet was later deleted and Ranger – who was released from prison last month - was also keen to explain his celebration.

“To put the record straight I wasn’t shooting the crowd, I just have a lot of ammunition in my boots this season,” the striker tweeted.

Ranger’s goal was his first of the season and came just a day after his electronic tag was removed.