.jpg) Vokes withWales, 2016 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Samuel Michael Vokes[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (1989-10-21)21 October 1989 (age 36)[2] | ||
| Place of birth | Southampton, England | ||
| Height | 6 ft 1 in (1.86 m)[3] | ||
| Position | Striker | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Gillingham | ||
| Number | 19 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2005–2006 | AFC Bournemouth | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2006–2008 | AFC Bournemouth | 54 | (16) |
| 2008–2012 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 47 | (6) |
| 2009 | →Leeds United (loan) | 8 | (1) |
| 2010–2011 | →Bristol City (loan) | 1 | (0) |
| 2011 | →Sheffield United (loan) | 6 | (1) |
| 2011 | →Norwich City (loan) | 4 | (1) |
| 2011–2012 | →Burnley (loan) | 9 | (2) |
| 2012 | →Brighton & Hove Albion (loan) | 14 | (3) |
| 2012–2019 | Burnley | 230 | (56) |
| 2019–2021 | Stoke City | 78 | (8) |
| 2021–2025 | Wycombe Wanderers | 125 | (28) |
| 2025– | Gillingham | 6 | (1) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2007–2010 | Wales U21 | 14 | (4) |
| 2008–2019 | Wales | 64 | (11) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 11:10, 23 September 2025 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals as of 11:10, 23 September 2025 (UTC) | |||
Samuel Michael Vokes (born 21 October 1989) is a professionalfootballer who plays as astriker forEFL League Two clubGillingham, and formerly for theWales national team.
Vokes began his professional career atAFC Bournemouth inLeague One, making his debut in 2006. His form there earned a move toChampionship sideWolverhampton Wanderers, where he helped them win promotion to the Premier League in his first season. In four seasons at Wolves, he played only 59 games, spending time on loan at six other clubs. In 2012, he transferred toBurnley, where he made 258 appearances and scored 62 goals, twice earning promotion to the Premier League. He signed for Stoke City in January 2019.
He has become an established member of theWales national team, who he has also represented atunder-21 level. Born and raised in England, Vokes is eligible to represent Wales through descendancy from his Welsh born grandfather.[4] He has earned over 60 caps since his debut in 2008, and was part of their team that reached the semi-finals ofUEFA Euro 2016.
Vokes was born inSouthampton and raised inLymington, and attendedPriestlands School inPennington.[5][6] Vokes began playing in theSouthampton Academy but was released when he was ten-years-old.[7] Vokes took aBTEC atBrockenhurst College and was taken on byBournemouth's Academy.[8]
Vokes stepped up intoAFC Bournemouth's first team on 5 December 2006 in a 2–0 victory overNottingham Forest.[9] His first senior goal came in a 1–1 draw atGillingham on 16 December.[10] The club gave him a three-and-a-half-year professional contract during the following month.[11] He made 14 appearances and scored four goals in his debut season as the Cherries finished in 18th spot.[12]
Vokes remained at Bournemouth during the2007–08 season, despite being linked to several other clubs, includingNewcastle United,Aston Villa,Everton andCeltic.[13] He also turned downCrewe Alexandra in January 2008 who had made a £200,000 bid.[14][15] Vokes was a bright spark in an otherwise tumultuous season for the Cherries as they were embroiled in a club ownership saga. His 12-goal tally could not prevent Bournemouth from being relegated toLeague Two.[16]
He eventually signed a four-year contract withChampionship sideWolverhampton Wanderers on 23 May 2008.[17] Vokes marked his debut for the club by coming off the bench to equalise in a 2–2 draw away toPlymouth Argyle on the opening day of the2008–09 season.[18] With the goal-scoring form ofChris Iwelumo andSylvan Ebanks-Blake firing the club to the top of the table – that they led for almost the entire season – Vokes was mostly only employed as a substitute. Nonetheless he contributed to eight goals to help the team win promotion to thePremier League as champions.[19]
To gain playing time, Vokes moved toLeague One sideLeeds United in October 2009 on loan until the New Year,[20] making his Leeds debut in a 2–1 victory overNorwich City on 19 October. He scored once for the club againstBristol Rovers[21] but competition between Leeds strikers meant Vokes returned to Wolves when the deal ended.
Vokes went out on loan once more in August 2010 when he moved to Championship sideBristol City.[22] He endured a miserable stay, tearing his hamstring within minutes of making his debut in a match againstMillwall and re-aggravating the injury in a reserve match in December.[23] He returned to Wolves when his loan expired in January having played just 13 minutes of first team football.[24]
Once again fit, he moved on a month-long loan to another Championship side,Sheffield United, in February 2011[25] and made his début the same evening in a 1–1 draw withReading.[26] With their other attacking options regaining fitness, theBlades elected not to extend Vokes' loan period,[27] meaning he was instead signed up by promotion-chasingNorwich City on 23 March on an emergency loan for the rest of the season.[28] However, an injury to Wolves' leading goalscorerKevin Doyle saw the club recall him after just four appearances for theCanaries, during which he scored once.[29] Back atMolineux, he made two substitute appearances for the team during the run-in as they narrowly avoided relegation on the final day despite losing 3–2 againstBlackburn Rovers.[30]
During the2011–12 season, he made four Premier League appearances for Wolves, but did not start a league match. In November 2011 he once more went out on loan to a Championship side, this time joiningBurnley until 15 January.[31] He played nine times for Burnley, scoring twice and impressed managerEddie Howe.[32]
On 30 January 2012, Vokes joined Championship sideBrighton & Hove Albion on loan until the end of the season.[33] He scored on his full home debut in a 2–2 draw with Millwall on 14 February 2012. He scored three goals in total during his 14 appearances for the Seagulls.[34]
On 31 July 2012, Vokes joined Championship sideBurnley permanently signing a three-year contract for an undisclosed fee, believed to be £350,000.[35][36] On 2 December, Vokes scored an equalising goal for Burnley in the 89th minute against fierce rivalsBlackburn Rovers a match which ended 1–1.[37] Despite this goal, Vokes struggled to establish himself in the first eleven and was used predominantly as a substitute.[38] This was mainly down to the form of top scorerCharlie Austin, with managerSean Dyche often opting to partner Austin with fellow strikersMartin Paterson orDanny Ings, both being quicker and more mobile than Vokes.[39]
On the eve of the2013–14 Championship season, Burnley agreed a deal withQueens Park Rangers for the transfer of Charlie Austin, who had attracted much attention from Premier League teams throughout the summer.[40] With Austin moving out of the club, this gave Vokes his long-awaited chance in the starting eleven, and he formed a striking partnership withDanny Ings and he finished the season with 21 goals in 44 matches helping the Clarets finished 2nd, gaining promotion to thePremier League.[41] He missed the run in after he ruptured hisanterior cruciate ligament which kept him out until December 2014.[42] He marked his return from injury with a goal againstTottenham Hotspur in theFA Cup.[43] Vokes played 15 league matches in2014–15 as Burnley suffered relegation back to the Championship.[44]
On 8 August 2015, on the opening day of the2015–16 Championship season, Vokes scored his first league goal since returning from a knee injury for Burnley against former club Leeds United in a 1–1 draw.[45] Vokes signed a new three-and-a-half-year contract with Burnley in January 2016.[46] He scored 16 goals in 46 appearances as Burnley returned to the Premier League as Championship title winners.[47]
Vokes scored his first Premier League goal on 20 August 2016 atTurf Moor in a 2–0 win againstLiverpool.[48] Vokes scored 12 goals in 36 games in2016–17 helping the team avoid relegation, finishing in 16th.[49] Vokes scored twice in a 3–2 win away at championsChelsea on the opening day of the2017–18 season.[50] He made 32 appearances as Burnley had a successful campaign finishing in 7th, qualifying for theUEFA Europa League.[51] In the2018–19 season, Vokes scored the club's first European goal in over half a century from close range for an equaliser away toAberdeen.[52] Burnley went out to Greek sideOlympiacos in the play-off round.[53] In October 2018 Vokes signed new contract atTurf Moor keeping him contract until 2021.[54] However, in January 2019 managerSean Dyche said he would allow Vokes to leave in the club in the January transfer window.[55]
Vokes joinedStoke City on 31 January 2019 on a three-and-a-half-year contract for an undisclosed fee.[56] He made his debut two days later againstHull City, and missed a penalty in a 2–0 defeat.[57] Vokes scored his first goal for Stoke on 23 February in a 1–1 draw withAston Villa.[58] Vokes ended the2018–19 season with three goals from 12 appearances.[59] Stoke made a poor start to the2019–20 season failing to win any of the first ten matches underNathan Jones.[60] Vokes scored in all three rounds of theEFL Cup in August and September but didn't score in the league until December.[61] He scored a dramatic 97th-minute winner againstSheffield Wednesday on boxing day which lifted the team off the bottom of the table.[62] The season extended into June due to theCOVID-19 pandemic and Vokes played in all the remaining matches and scored against relegation rivalsBarnsley on 4 July 2020.[63] He ended the campaign with eight goals from 40 appearances as Stoke avoided relegation and finished in 15th position.[64]
In the2020–21 season, Vokes was used mainly as a substitute byMichael O'Neill, starting only five of his 30 league appearances as Stoke finished in mid-table.[65][66] His only goal during the campaign came in a 1–0 EFL Cup win away atAston Villa on 1 October 2020.[67]
Vokes joinedWycombe Wanderers on 28 July 2021 for an undisclosed fee.[68] On 16 May 2022, ahead of the play-off final, Vokes signed a new one-year contract with the club.[69] On 24 April 2023 he said he had signed a new contract.[70]
On 20 May 2025, the club announced he would be leaving in June when his contract expired.[71]
Following his departure from Wycombe, Vokes signed a one-year contract withEFL League Two clubGillingham, managed by his former Wycombe managerGareth Ainsworth.[72]
Born and brought up in England, Vokes is eligible to represent Wales through a grandfather born inColwyn Bay.[73][4] He did not know he was eligible for Wales until managerBrian Flynn called him up to theWelsh under-21 team,[73] and he made his debut againstNorthern Ireland on 6 February 2007. The seventeen-year-old made an instant impression by scoring after 36 seconds, a team record, in a 4–0 victory.[74] He remained in the team and featured in theirEuropean U-21 Championship qualifying campaign.
He was soon called up to the senior squad and made his debut in a 1–0 friendly win overIceland on 28 May 2008, coming on as a substitute forFreddy Eastwood early into the second half.[75] Vokes scored his first senior international goal when he netted the winner in a 1–0 win overAzerbaijan in their opening2010 World Cup qualifier on 6 September 2008, striking seven minutes before the end at theMillennium Stadium.[76]
In May 2016, Vokes was listed for the 29-man squad for a pre-Euro 2016 training camp,[77] and was retained for the tournament final squad.[78] On 1 July, he came on as a substitute and scored for Wales in a 3–1 win overBelgium at the finals, sealing the victory to take Wales to their first ever semi-final appearance at a major tournament.[79]
At the2018 China Cup, where Wales finished as runners-up, Vokes scored twice in a 6–0 win overthe hosts in the semi-finals on 22 March.[80]
| Club | Season | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| AFC Bournemouth | 2006–07[12] | League One | 13 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 4 |
| 2007–08[81] | League One | 41 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2[a] | 0 | 45 | 12 | |
| Total | 54 | 16 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 59 | 16 | ||
| Wolverhampton Wanderers | 2008–09[82] | Championship | 36 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | — | 39 | 8 | |
| 2009–10[83] | Premier League | 5 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 9 | 0 | ||
| 2010–11[84] | Premier League | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 4 | 0 | ||
| 2011–12[34] | Premier League | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | — | 7 | 1 | ||
| Total | 47 | 6 | 7 | 2 | 5 | 1 | — | 59 | 9 | |||
| Leeds United (loan) | 2009–10[83] | League One | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2[a] | 0 | 10 | 1 |
| Bristol City (loan) | 2010–11[84] | Championship | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | |
| Sheffield United (loan) | 2010–11[84] | Championship | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 6 | 1 | |
| Norwich City (loan) | 2010–11[84] | Championship | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 4 | 1 | |
| Burnley (loan) | 2011–12[34] | Championship | 9 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 9 | 2 | |
| Brighton & Hove Albion (loan) | 2011–12[34] | Championship | 14 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 15 | 3 | |
| Burnley | 2012–13[85] | Championship | 46 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 49 | 4 | |
| 2013–14[86] | Championship | 39 | 20 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 0 | — | 44 | 21 | ||
| 2014–15[44] | Premier League | 15 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | 17 | 1 | ||
| 2015–16[87] | Championship | 43 | 15 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | 46 | 16 | ||
| 2016–17[49] | Premier League | 37 | 10 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | — | 42 | 12 | ||
| 2017–18[51] | Premier League | 30 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 32 | 4 | ||
| 2018–19[59] | Premier League | 20 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6[b] | 1 | 28 | 4 | |
| Total | 230 | 56 | 12 | 5 | 10 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 258 | 62 | ||
| Stoke City | 2018–19[59] | Championship | 12 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 12 | 3 | |
| 2019–20[88] | Championship | 36 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 3 | — | 40 | 8 | ||
| 2020–21[65] | Championship | 30 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | — | 34 | 1 | ||
| Total | 78 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 4 | — | 86 | 12 | |||
| Wycombe Wanderers | 2021–22[89] | League One | 43 | 16 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3[c] | 1 | 50 | 17 |
| 2022–23[90] | League One | 35 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1[d] | 0 | 37 | 6 | |
| 2023–24[91] | League One | 40 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 6[d] | 1 | 48 | 5 | |
| 2024–25[92] | League One | 7 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1[d] | 0 | 9 | 2 | |
| Total | 125 | 28 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 11 | 2 | 144 | 30 | ||
| Gillingham | 2025–26[93] | League Two | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 6 | 1 | |
| Career total | 582 | 123 | 27 | 7 | 27 | 5 | 21 | 2 | 657 | 137 | ||
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wales | 2008 | 6 | 1 |
| 2009 | 8 | 1 | |
| 2010 | 2 | 0 | |
| 2011 | 3 | 2 | |
| 2012 | 5 | 0 | |
| 2013 | 6 | 1 | |
| 2014 | 1 | 1 | |
| 2015 | 6 | 0 | |
| 2016 | 11 | 2 | |
| 2017 | 8 | 0 | |
| 2018 | 5 | 3 | |
| 2019 | 3 | 0 | |
| Total | 64 | 11 | |
| No. | Date | Venue | Cap | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6 September 2008 | Millennium Stadium,Cardiff, Wales | 3 |  Azerbaijan | 1–0 | 1–0 | 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification | [95] |
| 2 | 12 August 2009 | Podgorica City Stadium,Podgorica, Montenegro | 11 |  Montenegro | 1–2 | 1–2 | Friendly | [96] |
| 3 | 12 November 2011 | Cardiff City Stadium, Cardiff, Wales | 19 |  Norway | 3–1 | 4–1 | [97] | |
| 4 | 4–1 | |||||||
| 5 | 6 February 2013 | Liberty Stadium,Swansea, Wales | 25 |  Austria | 2–0 | 2–1 | [98] | |
| 6 | 5 March 2014 | Cardiff City Stadium, Cardiff, Wales | 31 |  Iceland | 2–1 | 3–1 | [99] | |
| 7 | 1 July 2016 | Stade Pierre-Mauroy,Villeneuve-d'Ascq, France | 43 |  Belgium | 3–1 | 3–1 | UEFA Euro 2016 | [79] |
| 8 | 5 September 2016 | Cardiff City Stadium, Cardiff, Wales | 45 |  Moldova | 1–0 | 4–0 | 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification | [100] |
| 9 | 22 March 2018 | Guangxi Sports Center,Nanning, China | 57 |  China | 3–0 | 6–0 | 2018 China Cup | [101] |
| 10 | 4–0 | |||||||
| 11 | 11 October 2018 | Millennium Stadium, Cardiff, Wales | 60 |  Spain | 1–4 | 1–4 | Friendly | [102] |
Wolverhampton Wanderers
Burnley
Wycombe Wanderers
|  | |