His new employers are far from happy.
Nine-time Republic of Ireland international Anthony Stokes is set to be disciplined by Apollon Smirnis after missing three consecutive days of training.
The 29-year-0ld striker, who joined Apollon on an 18-month deal from Hibernian in February, hasn’t managed to find the net after appearing four times.
“Stokes has not appeared at training for the past three days,” Apollon manager Georgios Paraschos said while confirming that Stokes would play no part in the club’s clash with Lamia this weekend.
“We will be seeking an apology. This is unacceptable. We have had no explanation from him.”
Although his time in Greece is barely two months old, this is not the first time Stokes has been in trouble with his new employers. The forward was fined last month after taking extra time off from training to attend to a ‘personal matter.’
He was sold by Hibs after falling out with manager Neil Lennon. The former Celtic and Bolton boss lost patience with Stokes following an incident involving a fire extinguisher during a warm-weather training camp in the Algarve.
Stokes etched himself into Hibs’ history books when he scored twice to beat Rangers in the 2016 Scottish Cup final,
“There’s only so many times you can push the envelope,” Lennon said when Stokes left Easter Road.
“There is a line that I won’t tolerate, and Anthony had plenty of chances not to cross that line. We’ve been saying for years that he’s a talented player and it’s a shame, but I can’t keep rapping him on the knuckles and saying it’s all right.
“For every player, it is the same premise: it is your livelihood, sacrifices have to be made and there has to be a dedication to your game.”
