It hasn't been a great few days for Anthony Stokes. On Wednesday he was given a two year suspended sentence and fined £30,000 for assaulting an Elvis impersonator outside a club on Leeson Street in 2013.
But there might just be a positive end to the month for Stokes.
According to Polish sports daily Przeglad Sportowy, the club leading the Polish Premier League at the moment, Jagiellonia Białystok, are seeking to secure Stokes' signature after failing to capture fellow Irishman Cillian Sheridan. They've got until February 28th to try and sign Stokes (that's when the Polish transfer window ends), in what would perhaps be a good move for the 28-year-old whose career hasn't really picked up again after six good seasons with Celtic (where he made 135 appearances and scored 58 goals).
Could this mean Champions League football for the Dubliner next season? Perhaps, if Jagiellonia Białystok can stay where they are and win the title (though they will still have to overcome a qualifying round). The club don't have a great record in Europe, having never made it past the Europa League qualification rounds, but even the possibility of playing in the Champions League must sound like a dream to Stokes in the middle of his current predicament.
As our expert translation of the Przeglad Sportowy article elucidates, the club will perhaps be wary of Stokes' indiscretions:
What's the catch? Last longer than on the fields, Stokes spent in the courtroom.
Indeed.
