The England international knows it will be a tough season for the Magpies in their first term in the Barclays Women's Championship, but is excited to finally get back out on the grass and test herself.

Stokes joins United at a very exciting time and is one of six signings so far this summer, but for the full-back, the move is about more than the on-pitch action.

"I didn't (take much persuasion to join), to be honest," Stokes told newcastleunited.com. "I came up and had a meeting, which was quite a quick turnaround.

"As soon as I had the meeting I felt excited, buzzing, and you just know when something feels right and this just made sense.

"It's exciting to be part of this journey with Newcastle United."

Becky Langley's side have been handed a challenging opening game away to London City Lionesses, which will be streamed live on the FA Women's Championship YouTube channel.

Newcastle know they must be pushing the limits in pre-season as they look to ready themselves for the second tier, and Stokes has been left blown away by the standards set so early into the summer.

"It's going to be a tough season," Stokes admitted. "But it's one that I think everyone is ready for.

"It's been great to have got pre-season underway because it feels like it's been such a long time over the summer.

"I'm enjoying everything so far and it's been great getting to know everyone, and has been really refreshing.

"From what I've seen in training so far, we're in a good place so it's exciting to see what we can do."

Newcastle's meteoric rise over the past two seasons has provided a major boost to the North East women's football scene, with three clubs from the area now in England's second tier.

The Magpies will face both Sunderland and Durham this campaign, which will only improve the wider view of women's football in the North East - something Stokes is delighted to be a part of once again.

"It's great (to see North East football growing) and that was one of the reasons why I wanted to be part of this club.

"They're just so ambitious and moving in the right direction. Also, credit to the girls for the work they've already done to get the club to the position we're in now."

It’s also a positive move for Stokes off the pitch as she has a lot of family from the North East, so she's buzzing to see some familiar faces in the Kingston Park crowd.

"It'll be good because my family and friends can come and watch me now," said Stokes, who moved away from the area in 2011. "A lot of them haven't been able to see me because my games have been quite far away."

Given Stokes' vast experience at both club and international level, she'll be looking to lend a helping hand to the whole squad, no matter how many games they've got under their belt.

The England international was an integral member of Manchester City's squad for almost a decade, racking up in excess of 200 club appearances, and is ready to share her wealth of knowledge to help her teammates on and off the pitch.

"I think my experience speaks for itself," Stokes added.

"Something I can bring to the team is my experience. I think I always try to help the girls and my teammates whenever I can.

"That's something I naturally do and I'll always try to do that. It's about being a team player."