He played in the Football League for Scunthorpe United, AFC Bournemouth, Aldershot Town and York City.

Rankine began his career with the Doncaster Rovers youth system, before playing for Armthorpe Welfare and Barrow in non-League football.

[5] He played for Armthorpe Welfare on work experience in 2002 and was released by Doncaster at the end of the 2002–03 season after failing to progress into their first team.

[14] He scored the winning goal for Scunthorpe away to Bury on his debut with a close range finish from Andy Crosby's knock-down in the 89th minute, which gave his team a 1–0 victory.

[15] He started for Scunthorpe in a 3–1 defeat to eventual Premier League champions Chelsea in the FA Cup third round in January 2005,[16] after which he was given the shirt of striker Didier Drogba.

[22] During the second month, he was recalled by Scunthorpe, due to injuries at the club,[23] meaning he finished the loan period with 11 appearances and three goals.

[26] Following the expiry of his Scunthorpe contract on 9 December 2005,[11] he later joined Conference National club Altrincham on trial and scored for their reserve team.

[27] After his contract at Scunthorpe expired, he had a period with former club Armthorpe Welfare to help his fitness, before joining Alfreton Town of the Conference North in January 2006.

[29] However, Rankine signed for Conference National club Rushden & Diamonds on 24 July 2006 on a one-year contract, having been on trial for three weeks.

[31][32] He next scored with two goals in a 3–1 victory over League One club Yeovil Town in the FA Cup first round in November.

[36] He joined League Two club AFC Bournemouth on 8 October 2008 on a one-month loan,[37] after having made eight appearances for Rushden up to that point during 2008–09.

[43] He started in the 2010 Conference Premier play-off final at Wembley Stadium on 16 May 2010, being substituted on 70 minutes, which was lost 3–1 to Oxford.

[50] He made his debut a day later as a 66th-minute substitute in Grimsby's 0–0 home draw with Buxton in the FA Trophy first round.

[61] He made his debut on 13 September 2014 as a 61st-minute substitute in a 1–0 win against Dartford,[51] and scored his first goal for the club with a close-range finished from a Carl Finnigan cross in the 86th minute of a 2–2 extra time draw to Wrexham in the FA Trophy third round on 7 February 2015, with Gateshead losing 5–3 in a penalty shoot-out.

[63] Rankine signed for National League club Altrincham on 3 June 2015, leaving Gateshead as he was unhappy with how regularly he was playing there.

[70] Rankine played as a striker and was described as a target man, not being a prolific goalscorer, and he said "I just like to chip away and work as hard as I can and, hopefully, then you get rewarded with goals".

[74] York manager Martin Foyle said that Rankine "will also work hard, close down and give us a presence in the final third.