List of Stoke City F.C. players explained

Stoke City F.C. is an English association football club based in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire. The club was formed in 1863 as Stoke Ramblers F.C., and played their first competitive match in November 1883, when they entered the First Round of the 1883–84 FA Cup. In 1888 they joined the inaugural Football League thus becoming founding members. The club was renamed Stoke City F.C. in 1925, and they moved to Britannia Stadium in 1997. Since playing their first competitive match, more than 1000 players have made a competitive first-team appearance for the club, many of whom have played 100 matches+ (including substitute appearances); those players are listed here.

Despite a lack of success Stoke have had a number of famous players over the years such as Stanley Matthews, Gordon Banks, Jimmy Greenhoff and Denis Smith. Stoke City's record appearance-maker is Eric Skeels who made 596 appearances between 1959 and 1976. Stoke's top senior goalscorer is John Ritchie with 176 goals.

List of players

• Appearances and goals are for first-team competitive matches only, including Premier League, Football League, Football Alliance, Birmingham & District League, Southern League, FA Cup, League Cup, League Trophy, UEFA Cup/UEFA Europa League, Anglo-Italian Cup, Birmingham League Cup, Full Members' Cup, United Counties League, Texaco Cup and Watney Cup. Wartime matches are regarded as unofficial and are excluded.
• The list is ordered first by number of appearances in total.
• Highlighted players members of the current squad.

Statistics correct as of match played 17 August 2024

Table headers

• Nationality – If a player played international football, the country/countries he played for are shown. Otherwise, the player's nationality is given as their country of birth.
• Stoke City career – The year of the player's first appearance for Stoke City to the year of his last appearance.
• Starts – The number of games started.
• Sub – The number of games played as a substitute.
• Total – The total number of games played, both as a starter and as a substitute.

Positions key

Pre-1960s		Post-1960s
GK	Goalkeeper
FB	Full back	DF	Defender
HB	Half back	MF	Midfielder
FW	Forward
U	Utility player

Name	Nationality	Position	Stoke City career	Starts	Subs	Total	Goals
				Appearances
		DF	1959–1976	579	18	597	7
		DF	1946–1960	542	0	542	2
		FB	1921–1935	511	0	511	0
		DF	1968–1982	492	1	493	42
		DF	1961–1977	478	4	482	19
		GK	1978–1993	477	0	477	0
		DF	1957–1970	470	3	473	4
		DF	2007–2021	444	9	453	25
		DF	1967–1979	435	9	444	3
		FW	1937–1960	436	0	436	149
		U	1946–1957	425	0	425	24
		DF	1972–1982	409	8	417	4
		HB	1946–1958	413	0	413	15
		FW	1922–1937	411	0	411	101
		HB	1923–1935	395	0	395	19
		FW	1963–1973	372	5	377	95
		MF	1932–1947 1961–1965	355	0	355	62
		FB	1926–1936	354	0	354	0
		FW	1962–1975	340	11	351	176
		FW	1950–1959	349	0	349	107
		FW	1969–1976	346	0	346	103
		DF	1968–1976	344	0	344	9
		FB	1954–1965	341	0	341	26
		MF	2008–2017	287	51	338	8
		MF	1967–1977	322	15	337	28
		FW	1967–1979	304	31	335	67
		DF	1989–1996	321	3	324	13
		DF	1988–1995	314	5	319	9
		MF	1928–1938	316	0	316	64
		DF	1930–1939	312	0	312	17
		FW	1953–1961	311	0	311	113
		DF	1952–1960	302	0	302	7
		FW	1977–1984	284	10	294	47
		FW	1965–1974	276	9	285	77
		MF	1989–1996	277	4	281	12
		FW	1925–1931	276	0	276	40
		FB	1912–1926	276	0	276	0
		MF	1985–1997	258	13	271	17
		FW	2010–2017	224	47	271	62
		DF	1982–1990	261	8	269	30
		MF	1898–1908	269	0	269	33
		DF	1999–2005	242	22	264	10
		FW	2011–2019	163	98	261	62
		MF	1954–1963	260	0	260	19
		FB	1898–1915	256	0	256	6
		FB	1883–1897	252	0	252	6
		FW	1933–1949	251	0	251	159
		GK	1967–1972	250	0	250	0
		GK	1952–1960	250	0	250	0
		MF	1936–1952	249	0	249	2
		MF	1996–2001	235	10	245	45
		MF	1966–1973	227	13	240	5
		DF	1994–1999	225	3	228	7
		FW	1891–1899	227	0	227	93
		HB	1901–1908	225	0	225	19
		FW	1930–1946	222	0	222	103
		MF	2016–2022	211	10	221	20
		MF	1912–1924	217	0	217	31
		DF	2000–2005	215	2	217	8
		GK	1946–1953	215	0	215	1
		DF	1991–1996	212	3	215	7
		HB	1889–1897	213	0	213	3
		DF	1980–1988	207	4	211	7
		MF	1996–2003	209	2	211	22
		DF	1994–1999	182	29	211	16
		MF	2006–2013	188	20	208	8
		FW	2006–2012	137	71	208	50
		FW	1992–1996	204	4	208	31
		FW	1962–1967	206	1	207	66
		DF	2013–2019	199	7	206	3
		MF	1994–2000	169	34	203	12
		HB	1924–1932	200	0	200	19
		GK	1922–1928	200	0	200	0
		DF	1908–1915	199	0	199	9
		HB	1933–1939	198	0	198	3
		GK	1935–1951	198	0	198	0
		FW	1925–1932	197	0	197	50
		MF	1954–1961	196	0	196	11
		FW	1895–1903	196	0	196	20
		MF	1963–1967	196	0	196	27
		FB	1901–1907	195	0	195	0
		DF	1937–1951	194	0	194	0
		DF	2001–2015	152	42	194	0
		FW	1931–1937	193	0	193	57
		GK	1966–1974	192	1	193	0
		MF	1937–1951	192	0	192	30
		FW	1982–1990	151	40	191	30
		DF	1947–1956	190	0	190	27
		DF	1908–1914	189	0	189	17
		FW	1997–2001	173	16	189	80
		DF	2009–2015	183	5	188	18
		DF	1907–1914	189	0	187	0
		GK	2004–2010	180	7	187	0
		FB	1890–1900	186	0	186	1
		GK	1993–2001	185	1	186	0
		FW	2005–2013	164	22	186	26
		MF	2012–2018	167	19	186	2
		FW	1933–1945	185	0	185	10
		MF	2003–2008	176	6	182	16
		FW	1989–1994	168	13	181	63
		DF	1965–1972	169	12	181	11
		MF	1983–1988	166	13	179	19
		MF	2012–2019	107	72	179	21
		DF	2010–2016	159	19	178	1
		MF	2009–2014	153	24	177	16
		FW	1936–1949	174	0	174	33
		FW	1895–1900	173	0	173	85
		FW	1913–1925	172	0	172	74
		GK	2010–2015	170	2	172	1
		GK	1929–1935	170	0	170	0
		GK	2013–2020	168	1	169	0
		FW	1925–1930	167	0	167	120
		HB	1919–1923	165	0	165	4
		FW	1985–1995	124	41	165	29
		FW	1976–1980	154	10	164	52
		FW	2018–2024	98	66	164	36
		DF	1946–1950	162	0	162	0
		MF	1974–1985	161	1	162	9
		HB	1926–1930	162	0	162	15
		MF	2000–2003	143	18	161	16
		MF	2000–2004	155	6	161	20
		MF	2009–2013	117	43	160	5
		GK	1901–1907	159	0	159	0
		FW	1946–1950	158	0	158	29
		FW	2014–2020	99	58	157	25
		DF	1980–1984	152	4	156	4
		MF	2020–	105	50	155	4
		HB	1958–1963	150	0	150	16
		FW	1903–1915	150	0	150	72
		GK	1960–1964	149	0	149	0
		MF	1970–1976	136	10	146	8
		FW	2013–2017	129	16	145	26
		MF	1982–1985	143	1	144	14
		GK	1887–1896	144	0	144	0
		DF	1987–1991	134	9	143	1
		MF	2018–2023	117	26	143	19
		MF	1977–1981	137	5	142	11
		MF	1979–1983	135	6	141	6
		FW	1909–1913	141	0	141	62
		MF	1987–1994	115	26	141	14
		FW	2020–2023	106	35	141	30
		MF	1972–1977	121	19	140	14
		FW	1900–1908	139	0	139	52
		DF	1996–2010	126	11	137	5
		DF	1983–1989	128	9	137	5
		DF	2016–2021	131	6	137	2
		FB	1926–1933	136	0	136	0
		HB	1889–1894	136	0	136	3
		MF	2000–2006	75	61	136	1
		FW	1892–1896	135	0	135	48
		MF	1986–1989	135	0	135	14
		FB	1902–1908	135	0	135	4
		MF	1992–1994	134	0	134	13
		MF	1974–1977	131	3	134	16
		FW	1992–1997	134	0	134	72
		HB	1895–1901	134	0	134	10
		FB	1929–1938	132	0	132	0
		FB	1887–1893	131	0	131	0
		FW	2004–2005 2010–2014	93	37	130	31
		DF	1957–1963	129	0	129	2
		DF	1911–1920	129	0	129	12
		FW	1998–2001	100	29	129	25
		GK	2008–2015	128	1	129	0
		DF	1978–1981	128	0	128	6
		DF	2006–2013	125	3	128	14
		DF	1894–1900	128	0	128	3
		FW	1953–1958	126	0	126	52
		FW	1972–1975	123	5	126	37
		DF	1929–1933	126	0	126	3
		MF	2006–2010	108	17	125	24
		FW	1962–1966	123	1	124	22
		MF	1982–1985	122	2	124	18
		FB	1920–1925	123	0	123	5
		DF	1983–1986	123	0	123	5
		U	1899–1904	123	0	123	23
		FW	1982–1986	114	9	123	24
		DF	2017–2023	99	23	122	4
		FW	1905–1912	121	0	121	51
		GK	1974–1977	121	0	121	0
		MF	1980–1984	105	15	120	25
		MF	1983–1991	113	7	120	22
		MF	2012–2015	117	3	120	7
		FB	1936–1946	119	0	119	0
		FW	1993–1996	80	39	119	20
		MF	1979–1982	115	3	118	17
		MF	2019–2023	90	28	118	28
		FW	1921–1923	116	0	116	67
		MF	1963–1965	114	2	116	19
		U	1951–1955	115	0	115	6
		DF	1999–2001	115	0	115	7
		MF	2005–2007	96	16	112	3
		GK	1977–1980	112	0	112	0
		DF	2021–	106	6	112	5
		MF	1960–1968	106	5	111	8
		DF	1963–1966	109	2	111	8
		MF	1993–1995	107	4	111	19
		MF	1967–1973	98	13	111	7
		MF	2018–2021	92	19	111	12
		HB	1919–1922	110	0	110	2
		DF	1952–1956	109	0	109	1
		MF	1902–1908	109	0	109	12
		FW	1957–1961	109	0	109	50
		MF	1996–1999	102	6	108	18
		MF	1982–1987	96	12	108	5
		FW	1978–1982	103	4	107	38
		DF	2019–2022	101	6	107	6
		MF	2006–2012	82	24	106	1
		MF	1936–1950	106	0	106	29
		DF	2019–2022	99	7	106	3
		DF	1979–1982	105	0	105	2
		MF	1984–1989	96	9	105	2
		FW	1986–1990	88	16	104	26
		FW	1984–1987	93	10	103	33
		FW	2000–2004	52	51	103	22
		MF	2018–2022	80	23	103	14
		FW	2000–2003	78	24	102	23
		DF	2004–2007	102	0	102	1
		MF	1990–1993	96	6	102	2
		FW	1907–1912	101	0	101	56
		DF	1967–1972	95	6	101	1
		FW	1890–1895	101	0	101	25
		GK	1993–1997	100	1	101	0
		FW	1965–1970	97	3	100	24
		GK	1999–2002	100	0	100	0

Notes

• A utility player is one who is considered to play in more than one position.

References

• Book: Matthews, Tony . Encyclopaedia of Stoke City . 1997 . Lion Press . 1-85983-100-1 .
• Book: Lowe, Simon . Stoke City The Modern Era – A Complete Record . 2005 . Desert Island Books . 1-874287-39-2 .