Anthony Stokes has been barred from one of Sunderland’s leading night-spots after Roy Keane’s warning to his teenage striker to avoid the perils of fame. After the Ireland player scored his first goal in the Barclays Premier League, against Derby County last weekend, the manager described The Glass Spider club as an “obvious pitfall”, a message that the establishment in question has taken to heart.

For Stokes, the celebratory bubbly remains on ice, at least until the end of the season, when he will again be free to fritter away his wages in the drinking holes of Wearside. The 19-year-old, who is attempting to overcome a mixed disciplinary record at the club, may think twice before adding to his scoring tally; the rewards so far have been a ticking-off and prohibition.

In an outbreak of responsibility, Wylam Leisure, the owner of The Glass Spider, has banned Stokes from its premises for the sake of his nascent career. According to Keane, Stokes “can go as far as he wants” in football, although his praise came with a hefty caveat. “He could be a top player or he could be playing non-League in five years,” the manager said.

Tony Griffiths, a director of Wylam Leisure, said: “Because we have a private VIP area, it is always very popular and the players know that this is the liveliest club in Sunderland. But as great Sunderland supporters, we obviously want to see them do well. And if Roy Keane thinks The Glass Spider is a distraction, then we have decided to bar Anthony until the football season ends so he can concentrate on his game.”

Stokes may view the development with bemusement. Since missing the team bus for a match away to Barnsley last season, the forward has had to deal with the perception that he is a disruptive influence. In August he prompted more anger when he failed to report for Ireland Under21 duty before their match against Germany, a mix-up that was put down to miscommunication.

“I didn’t get the best of starts at Sunderland,” Stokes, who joined the club from Arsenal for £2 million 11 months ago, said. “Not after the thing with missing the bus. But the gaffer told me two days later that it was forgotten and over with.”

Stokes described that mishap as a “wake-up call” and if he continues his recent brush with maturity, an incentive beckons. “At the end of the season, if he comes back, we’ll treat him to a huge bottle of champagne and a night in the VIP area at our expense,” Griffiths said.