Demi Stokes

Sunderland

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 came second in the 2009 FA Women's Cup, losing the final 2–1 to Arsenal. During her time at Sunderland, she played alongside future international teammates Lucy Bronze, Jordan Nobbs, and Lucy Staniforth.

North American years

In 2011, Stokes accepted a four-year scholarship with the University of South Florida. In 2012, she played 13 games for the Vancouver Whitecaps in the pro-am W-League.

Manchester City

In January 2015, Stokes signed a three-year contract with Women's Super League club Manchester City. Stokes won a domestic double (the league title and Continental Cup) during her first full season at City. In May 2017, Stokes started in the final of the Women's FA Cup as City won the title for the first time in the club's history. In mid-2018, Stokes suffered a hip injury which prevented her from playing for eight months. She returned to the team as City secured their second domestic double, winning both the FA Cup and the Continental Cup. Stokes won her third FA Cup with the club in November 2020 in a behind-closed-doors final delayed by over six months due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In March 2021, Stokes signed a two-year contraction extension with City. In March 2023, she signed a contract extension for a further year. In 2024, after 9…

Youth teams

In July 2009, Stokes was a part of the England under-19 squad who won the 2009 UEFA Women's Under-19 Championship in Belarus. In 2010, she helped England reach the final of the 2010 UEFA Women's Under-19 Championship in North 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. In July 2013 Stokes captained Great Britain to a gold medal in the 2013 Summer Universiade in Kazan, Russia.

Senior team

Newly appointed England coach Mark Sampson included Stokes in a 30-player squad for an annual training camp in La Manga. She made her senior debut during a 1–1 draw to Norway, starting at left back. In April 2014 she scored in England's 9–0 victory over Montenegro. Stokes was not included in 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. She represented England at the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup. England were defeated in the semi-final by eventual champions the United States, and lost the third place play off to Sweden. 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. 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…

Stokes was born in Dudley, a town in the West Midlands; she is often incorrectly listed online as being born in South Shields, the area her family moved to in her youth. Stokes has three brothers and a sister, and grew up in a single-parent household. She began playing football in primary school and captained the boy's team. Stokes attended Gateshead College so she could continue to study while 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.

Stokes is of Jamaican descent through her father. She is openly gay. She became engaged to her partner, Katie, during the UK's COVID-19 lockdown. In May 2022, shortly before her participation in and eventual victory at the Women's Euro, Stokes and her partner became parents. Their son was born six weeks premature.