Demi Lee Courtney Stokes (born 12 December 1991) is an English professional footballer who plays as a left-back for Women's Super League 2 club Newcastle United. She previously played for Manchester City in the Women's Super League.

Club career

Stokes joined Sunderland's youth academy as an 8-year-old and began playing in the first team at 16. She was part of the team which won the 2008–09 FA Women's Premier League Northern Division and lost the 2009 FA Women's Cup final 2–1 to Arsenal. She accepted a four-year scholarship to the University of South Florida in 2011.

In 2012 Stokes played 13 games for Vancouver Whitecaps in the pro-am North American W-League.

In January 2015, Stokes signed a three-year professional contract with Manchester City. After 9 years at the club, it was announced that Stokes would leave Manchester City at the end of her contract on 18 May 2024.

On 10 July 2024, Stokes joined Women's Championship club Newcastle United. Following the departure of Amber Keegan-Stobbs, Stokes was named as Newcastle's captain ahead of the 2025-26 season.

International career

England

In July 2009 Stokes featured as England under-19 won the 2009 UEFA Women's Under-19 Championship in Belarus, with a 2–0 final win over Sweden. In 2010, she helped England reach the final of the 2010 UEFA Women's Under-19 Championship in Macedonia, where they lost their title to France. Later that summer Stokes started two of England's three games at the 2010 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup in Germany.

Newly appointed England coach Mark Sampson included Stokes in a 30-player squad for the annual training camp in La Manga, which included a match against Norway on 17 January 2014. She started the 1–1 draw with Norway at left back, to win her first senior cap. In April 2014 she scored in England's 9–0 thrashing of Montenegro at Falmer Stadium, Brighton and Hove.

Stokes was disappointed to be left out of England's squad for the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup. She was restored to the squad for the subsequent UEFA Women's Euro 2017 qualifying campaign. In the group stage of the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup, Stokes played left back in England's match against Japan where she helped England win 2–0. Stokes also played in the quarter-final against Norway, helping England beat Norway 3–0.

In June 2022 Stokes was included in the England squad which won the UEFA Women's Euro 2022.

Stokes was allotted 183 when the FA announced their legacy numbers scheme to honour the 50th anniversary of England’s inaugural international.

Great Britain

In July 2013 Stokes captained Great Britain to a gold medal in the 2013 Summer Universiade in Kazan, Russia. On 27 May 2021 it was announced that Stokes had been selected in the Great Britain women's Olympic football team for the 2020 Olympics.

Personal life

Stokes is of Jamaican descent through her father. She went to Gateshead College so she could continue to study whilst still playing football. As a child, she played with Boldon CA girls' team, as did future England teammates Steph Houghton and Jill Scott; as part of the "Where Greatness Is Made" campaign, plaques honouring Stokes and Scott were installed at the club in 2022.

Career statistics

Club

As of match played 18 May 2024

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
ClubSeasonLeagueFA CupLeague CupContinentalTotal
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Sunderland2007–08WPLR8000——80
2008–09WPLR13020——150
2009–10WPLN21321——234
2010–11WPLN17720——197
Total59106100006511
Vancouver Whitecaps2012USL W-League130———130
Manchester City2015Women's Super League140305000220
2016Women's Super League162304000232
2017Women's Super League70—0080150
2017–18Women's Super League150404082312
2018–19Women's Super League111402000171
2019–20Women's Super League140203040230
2020–21Women's Super League100201020150
2021–22Women's Super League191504020301
2022–23Women's Super League3010302090
2023–24Women's Super League400010—50
Total11342402702601906
Newcastle United2024–25Women's Championship2013031—262
2025–26Women's Super League 21701030—150
Total311406100412
Career total2151534133126031019

International

As of match played 12 October 2022

YearEnglandGreat Britain
AppsGoalsAppsGoals
2014121-
201580-
201690-
2017160-
201840-
201980-
202010-
20216030
2022100-
Total74130

Scores and results list England's goal tally first.

GoalDateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition
1.5 April 2014Falmer Stadium, Brighton and Hove, EnglandMontenegro7–09–0World Cup 2015 qualification

Honours

Sunderland

Manchester City

England

Individual

See also

Further reading

  • Aluko, Eniola (2019), They Don't Teach This, Random House, ISBN 9781473564480
  • Caudwell, Jayne (2013), Women's Football in the UK: Continuing with Gender Analyses, Taylor & Francis, ISBN 9781317966234
  • Dunn, Carrie (2019), Pride of the Lionesses: The Changing Face of Women's Football in England, Pitch Publishing (Brighton) Limited, ISBN 9781785315411
  • Dunn, Carrie (2016), The Roar of the Lionesses: Women's Football in England, Pitch Publishing Limited, ISBN 9781785311512
  • Grainey, Timothy (2012), Beyond Bend It Like Beckham: The Global Phenomenon of Women's Soccer, University of Nebraska Press, ISBN 0803240368

External links