Demi Lee Courtney Stokes (born 12 December 1991) is an English professional footballer who plays as a left-back for Women's Championship club Newcastle United.[5] She previously played for Manchester City in the Women's Super League.
Stokes joined Sunderland's youth academy as an 8-year-old and began playing in the first team at 16.[6] 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.[3] She accepted a four-year scholarship to the University of South Florida in 2011.[7]
In 2012 Stokes played 13 games for Vancouver Whitecaps in the pro-am North American W-League.[8]
In January 2015, Stokes signed a three-year professional contract with Manchester City.[9] 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.[10]
On 10 July 2024, Stokes joined Women's Championship club Newcastle United.[11]
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.[7]
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.[12] She started the 1–1 draw with Norway at left back, to win her first senior cap.[13] In April 2014 she scored in England's 9–0 thrashing of Montenegro at Falmer Stadium, Brighton and Hove.[14]
Stokes was disappointed to be left out of England's squad for the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup.[15] 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.[16] Stokes also played in the quarter-final against Norway, helping England beat Norway 3–0.[17]
In June 2022 Stokes was included in the England squad which won the UEFA Women's Euro 2022.[18][19]
Stokes was allotted 183 when the FA announced their legacy numbers scheme to honour the 50th anniversary of England’s inaugural international.[20][21]
In July 2013 Stokes captained Great Britain to a gold medal in the 2013 Summer Universiade in Kazan, Russia.[1] 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.[22]
Stokes is of Jamaican descent through her father.[23] She went to Gateshead College so she could continue to study whilst still playing football.[24] As a child, she played with Boldon CA girls' team, as did future England teammates Steph Houghton and Jill Scott;[25] as part of the "Where Greatness Is Made" campaign, plaques honouring Stokes and Scott were installed at the club in 2022.[26]
| Club | Season | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Continental | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Sunderland | 2007-08 | WPLR | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 8 | 0 | ||
| 2008-09 | WPLR | 13 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 15 | 0 | |||
| 2009-10 | WPLN | 21 | 3 | 2 | 1 | — | — | 23 | 4 | |||
| 2010-11 | WPLN | 17 | 7 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 19 | 7 | |||
| Total | 59 | 10 | 6 | 1 | — | — | 65 | 11 | ||||
| Vancouver Whitecaps | 2012 | USL W-League | 13 | 0 | — | — | — | 13 | 0 | |||
| Manchester City | 2015 | Women's Super League | 14 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 22 | 0 |
| 2016 | Women's Super League | 16 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 23 | 2 | |
| 2017 | Women's Super League | 7 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 15 | 0 | ||
| 2017-18 | Women's Super League | 15 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 8 | 2 | 31 | 2 | |
| 2018-19 | Women's Super League | 11 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 1 | |
| 2019-20 | Women's Super League | 14 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 23 | 0 | |
| 2020-21 | Women's Super League | 10 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 15 | 0 | |
| 2021-22 | Women's Super League | 19 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 30 | 1 | |
| 2022-23 | Women's Super League | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 9 | 0 | |
| 2023-24 | Women's Super League | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 5 | 0 | ||
| Total | 113 | 4 | 24 | 0 | 27 | 0 | 26 | 0 | 190 | 6 | ||
| Career total | 184 | 14 | 30 | 1 | 27 | 0 | 26 | 0 | 268 | 17 | ||
| Year | England | Great Britain | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | |
| 2014 | 12 | 1 | - | |
| 2015 | 8 | 0 | - | |
| 2016 | 9 | 0 | - | |
| 2017 | 16 | 0 | - | |
| 2018 | 4 | 0 | - | |
| 2019 | 8 | 0 | - | |
| 2020 | 1 | 0 | - | |
| 2021 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 2022 | 10 | 0 | - | |
| Total | 74 | 1 | 3 | 0 |
| Goal | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 5 April 2014 | Falmer Stadium, Brighton and Hove, England |  Montenegro |
7–0 | 9–0 | World Cup 2015 qualification |
Sunderland
Manchester City[30]
England
Individual
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International tournaments | |||||||||||||||||
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