Anthony Stokes (footballer)

:"For the West Ham United footballer, see Tony Stokes"Infobox Football biography
playername = Anthony Stokes


fullname = Anthony Stokes
dateofbirth = birth date and age|1988|7|25
cityofbirth = Dublin
countryofbirth = Republic of Ireland
currentclub = Sunderland
clubnumber = 44
height = height|meters=1.80
position = Winger, Striker
youthyears = 2002–2003
2003–2005
youthclubs = Shelbourne
Arsenal
years = 2005–2007
2006–2007
2007–

clubs = Arsenal
→ Falkirk (loan)
Sunderland
caps(goals) = 00 0(0)
16 (14)
34 0(3)
nationalyears = 2007–
nationalteam = Republic of Ireland
nationalcaps(goals) = 03 0(0)
pcupdate = 22:54, 4 May 2008 (UTC)
ntupdate = 23:06, 26 May 2007 (UTC)

Anthony Stokes (born July 25, 1988 in Dublin)cite news|title=Anthony Stokes|publisher=Soccerbase|url=http://www.soccerbase.com/players_details.sd?playerid=42483|accessdate=2008-03-22] is a professional footballer who plays as a striker for Premier League club Sunderland. He also plays for Republic of Ireland. He previously played for Arsenal and Falkirk

Stokes began his career with Arsenal. He moved to Falkirk on loan in 2006, and scored 14 goals in 16 games. In 2007, he joined Sunderland.cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/s/sunderland/6235101.stm|publisher=BBC Sport |title= Sunderland seal 2m Stokes deal | date=2007-01-08]

Club career

Arsenal

Stokes broke into the Arsenal reserves at only 15 years old after joining from Shelbourne. Stokes made his first-team debut as a substitute in Arsenal's League Cup tie against Sunderland on 25 October, 2005, coming on for Arturo Lupoli in the 88th minute which Arsenal won 3–0. In the summer of 2006, he trained with Sunderland with a view to a loan move, but the then Sunderland manager Niall Quinn decided against it due to Sunderland's large squad depth and lack of reserve team. [cite web|title=No deal for Stokes|publisher=www.safc.com|url=http://www.safc.com/news/?page_id=10119|accessdate=2006-08-31] Eventually, on 29 August, 2006 Arsenal agreed a loan deal with Falkirk that saw Stokes play for the Scottish side until the end of 2006. [cite web|title=Falkirk snap up Arsenal's Stokes|publisher=BBC Sport|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/f/falkirk/5295612.stm|accessdate=2006-08-31 ]

Stokes scored his first goal for Falkirk in a 1–0 victory at Inverness Caledonian Thistle on September 19 2006, in the CIS Cup third round. [cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/scot_cups/5356406.stm|publisher=BBC Sport|title=Inverness CT 0-1 Falkirk|date=2006-09-19|accessdate=2008-03-22] He followed that up on October 21 with two more goals against Inverness. [cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/scot_prem/6069540.stm|publisher=BBC Sport|title=Inverness CT 3-2 Falkirk|date=2006-10-21] On October 28 2006, he scored his first competitive hat-trick during Falkirk's 5–1 victory over Dundee United, [cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/scot_prem/6089770.stm|publisher=BBC Sport|title=Falkirk 5-1 Dundee United|date=2006-20-28] and then scored another hat-trick in the following match against Dunfermline Athletic, [cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/scot_prem/6111466.stm|publisher=BBC Sport|title=Dunfermline 0-3 Falkirk|date=2006-11-04] to take his tally to an impressive nine goals in just four games. This hat-trick wrote himself into Falkirk's history book, with Falkirk enjoying success over their Fife rivals. Having become the first player to score back to back hat-tricks in the SPL, Stokes then hit a third in his final game for Falkirk on December 30, a 3–1 home victory over Inverness. [cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/scot_prem/6214551.stm|publisher=BBC Sport|title=Falkirk 3-1 Inverness CT| date=2006-12-3030 December 2006]

On November 7, Stokes scored an equaliser for Falkirk in the 100th minute of the CIS Insurance Cup against Celtic, Falkirk going through 5–4 on penalties. His continuing good form saw him named "Young Player of the Month" for October and November. By the end of December 2006 he had scored 16 goals in 18 league and cup appearances and reports linked him with a move to Celtic. [cite web|title=Celtic to consider bid for Stokes | publisher=BBC Sport | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/c/celtic/6198270.stm | date=2006-12-01] However, when his loan at Falkirk expired on December 31 2006, he returned to Arsenal. [ cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/f/falkirk/6221293.stm|publisher=BBC Sport|title=Stokes to end spell with Falkirk|date=2006-12-31]

underland

On January 8 2007, Stokes ended weeks of speculation as to his future by signing for Sunderland for a fee of £2 million. With Celtic and Charlton Athletic having also been in the hunt for his signature, Stokes revealed that he was greatly influenced by Sunderland manager and former Irish football international, Roy Keane, in making his ultimate decision. [cite news|url=http://www.rte.ie/sport/2007/0108/stokesa.html|publisher=RTE Sport |title=Stokes signs for Sunderland|date=8 January 2007] Stokes was originally handed the 26 shirt at Sunderland, but after the departure of Jonathan Stead to Sheffield United he was given the number 9 shirt.

On January 13 2007, Stokes made his Sunderland debut, and crossed to set up David Connolly to give Sunderland a one goal win over Ipswich. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_div_1/6236757.stm BBC SPORT | Football | Championship | Sunderland 1–0 Ipswich] ] Stokes scored his first goal for Sunderland on February 10 2007 against Plymouth Argyle, scoring from 20 yards after coming on as a substitute.

Stokes was banned from The Glass Spider in Sunderland, a late closing bar/club after Roy Keane blamed the club for being a distraction that was affecting his training. The barring was revoked after season and Stokes received a complimentary bottle of champagne. [cite news |date=2007-05-12 |title=Nightclub's ban on Anthony Stokes scores points with Roy Keane | url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/sunderland/article3001283.ece |publisher=The Times | accessdate=2007-05-12] Stokes then scored first Premier League goal; a last-minute winner against Derby County on 1 December, 2007; a goal that took Sunderland out of the relegation zone which they had slipped into for the first time that season.cite news|first=Alistair|last=Magowan|title=Sunderland 1-0 Derby County|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/eng_prem/7110964.stm|publisher=BBC Sport|date=2007-12-01|accessdate=2007-12-01]

Before the start of the 2007-08 season, Stokes had the number 9 shirt stripped and he will now wear the number 44 shirt.

International career

Stokes earned his first cap for the Republic of Ireland in their 2–1 win away to San Marino on February 7 2007, coming on as a substitute. [cite news |date=2007-02-07 |title=San Marino 1-2 Rep of Ireland | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/internationals/6340553.stm |publisher=BBC Sport | accessdate=2007-02-07]

References

External links

*soccerbase|id=42483|name=Anthony Stokes
* [http://www.safc.com/team/?page_id=2623&player_id=157 Profile on safc.com]

Persondata
NAME = Stokes, Anthony
ALTERNATIVE NAMES = Anthony Stokes
SHORT DESCRIPTION = Footballer
DATE OF BIRTH = 25 July, 1988
PLACE OF BIRTH = Dublin, Republic of Ireland
DATE OF DEATH =
PLACE OF DEATH =