Ex-Celtic striker Anthony Stokes has returned to football with Conor McGregor’s pub team Blackforge FC.
Stokes’ last professional club was Livingston, for whom he signed in 2020 but left after one month without having played a game as he disliked training on artificial pitches.
As reported by The Sun, The 37-year-old has signed for amateur club Blackforge, who will be looking to retain their league and cup double. Stokes scored two goals and provided two assists on his debut for the club.
MMA star McGregor has even played for the team himself at times.
In 2024 Stokes was found to be in possession of thousands of pounds worth of cocaine after a high-speed chase during which he was over the legal alcohol limit. He was sentenced to fifteen months in prison for drug and driving offences and was banned from driving for five years. He was released within hours in order to appeal the severity of his sentence.
Following an appeal, the sentence was suspended entirely, with Stokes facing a community service order.
Ex-Celtic striker Anthony Stokes has returned to football with Conor McGregor’s pub team Blackforge FC
MMA star McGregor has even played for the amateur team himself at times
Stokes’ last professional club was Livingston, for whom he signed in 2020
In 2013 Stokes received a two-year suspended sentence for headbutting a man in Dublin.
In 2019 he pleaded guilty to stalking his ex-girlfriend and her mother and was later jailed for five months for breaching court orders relating to the offence.
Stokes started his career at Arsenal, for whom he made one senior appearance.
He went on to play for numerous clubs, including Sunderland, Hibernian and Blackburn.
Stokes made the biggest impact during his career for Celtic, for whom he played 192 games and scored 76 goals. He won the Scottish league title three years in a row and also won the Scottish Cup twice and the Scottish League Cup once.
The forward made nine appearances for the Republic of Ireland between 2007 and 2014.
