Anthony Stokes: From challenging Thierry Henry for a place at Arsenal to Mountjoy Prison

Stokes had the world at his feet, but his lifestyle and poor choices dragged him to a completely different direction

Anthony Stokes has credited his adoptive parents for sending him to a private school and encouraging him to play football. Photo: Collins Courts

When Dubliner Anthony Stokes signed for Arsenal at the age of 15, he was already being hyped as a potential saviour of Irish soccer.

Regarded as the hottest prospect to come out of Ireland in a generation, Arsenal's youth development head Liam Brady — who knew more than most about making it to the top — said the sky was the limit for Stokes.