City will have 11 representatives at this summer’s tournament, sporting the colours of England, Sweden, Norway and Spain.
As we build-up to the highly-anticipated competition, which will be played across ten English venues from 6 to 31 July, including the Academy Stadium, we shine the spotlight on our Blue stars.
Today, we place the focus on our ever-dependable left-back Demi Stokes...
Player profile
Position: Defender
Birthplace: Birmingham
Date of birth: 12 December 1991
Age: 30
Height: 5’ 3” (159cm)
Appearances
City: 190
Senior debut: v Doncaster Belles, 22 March 2015
Goals: 7
International: 67 (England), 3 (Team GB)
Senior debut: v Norway, 17 January 2014
Goals: 1 (England)
Honours
City: FA Women’s Super League Champion (2016), FA Cup winner (2017, 2019, 2020), Continental Cup winner (2016, 2018/19, 2021/22)
International: SheBelieves Cup winner (2019), Arnold Clark Cup winner (2020), represented Team GB at the 2020 Olympic Games
Individual: PFA WSL Team of the Year inclusions (2017/18, 2018/19)
About Demi
The summer of 2022 is already guaranteed to be one Stokes will never forget.
Last month, the 30-year-old became a mother, after partner Katie Harrington gave birth to their son Harlen. It was a crazy time for our left-back with City’s domestic campaign drawing to a close and anticipation building as the weeks tick down to the Lionesses’ highly-anticipated home tournament!
While the defender admits there has been plenty to juggle, her performances throughout the 2021/22 campaign remained consistent - her reliability one of her greatest attributes, alongside her strength and speed.
Just ten appearances shy of 200, she stands as City’s fourth-highest appearance maker and has been an integral part of the Club’s success since joining in 2015, as well as England’s remarkable rise.
She made her international bow at the start of 2014, which opened a new chapter of her career with a key positional switch. Though now regarded as one of the best left-backs in the Women’s Super League, she began her career as a left-winger and now utilises both attacking and defensive traits in her game with superb ball retention and close control.
Though she is not a regular goalscorer (she only has the one for her country), she has chipped in with some crucial efforts for City over the years and even managed to net one in tribute to Harlen shortly before he was born with a ‘trademark’ low drive into the bottom corner.
On the pitch, she gives her all. Powerful, fit and agile, she is tireless and though rarely hits the headlines, quietly goes about her business, always putting the needs of the team above her own.
With just short of 70 caps to her name, she is a regular for both Club and country, and is considered to be a calming and mature influence both in the backline and the dressing room.
She is as highly-regarded away from the grass. Dedicated, friendly and humble, her peers, manager and staff speak highly of her attitude and the way she conducts herself with the utmost professionalism, while she is deservedly admired for work in inspiring positive social change.
Having already tasted Euros success at Under-19 level back in 2009, could she repeat the feat for the senior side to make this summer all the more special, marking her son’s arrival into the world with a gold medal?
Fixtures
England v Austria
Wednesday 6 July, 20:00
Old Trafford, Manchester
BBC One
England v Norway
Monday 11 July, 20:00
American Express Community Stadium, Brighton
BBC
Northern Ireland v England
Friday 15 July, 20:00
St Mary’s Stadium, Southampton
BBC
