Gary Hooper
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Gary Hooper (born 26 January 1988) is an English professional
footballer A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby lea ...
who plays as a forward for Maldon & Tiptree. Hooper started his career at
non-League Non-League football describes association football, football leagues played outside the top leagues of a country. Usually, it describes leagues which are not fully professional. The term is primarily used for football in England, where it is ...
club
Grays Athletic Grays Athletic Football Club is a football club based in Grays, Essex, England. They are currently members of the and play at Chadfields in nearby Tilbury. History The club was established as Grays Juniors in 1890, before merging with former ...
in 2003. While there he won the 2004–05 Conference South, as well as the
FA Trophy The Football Association Challenge Trophy, also known as the Isuzu FA Trophy for sponsorship reasons, is a men's football knockout cup competition run by and named after The Football Association (the FA) and competed by mainly National League ...
twice in 2005 and 2006. After this Championship club Southend United signed him on a free transfer in 2006. He was loaned out twice by the club, on a three-month loan to League One club
Leyton Orient Leyton Orient Football Club, commonly referred to as Orient, is a professional association football club based in Leyton, Waltham Forest, London, England. The team compete in EFL League One, the third level of the English football league system. ...
in 2007 and a six-month loan to League Two club
Hereford United Hereford United Football Club was an association football club based in Hereford, England. They played at Edgar Street for their entire history. They were nicknamed 'The Whites' or 'The Lilywhites', after their predominantly white kit, or 'Th ...
in 2008.
Scunthorpe United Scunthorpe United Football Club is a professional association football club based in Scunthorpe, North Lincolnshire, England. The team competes in the National League, the fifth tier of the English football league system. The club was formed in ...
signed him in 2008, for a fee of £175,000. After two years he was signed by
Scottish Premier League The Scottish Premier League (SPL) was the Scottish football league system, top-level league competition for professional Association football, football clubs in Scotland. The league was founded in 1998, when it broke away from the Scottish Foo ...
club
Celtic Celtic, Celtics or Keltic may refer to: Language and ethnicity *pertaining to Celts, a collection of Indo-European peoples in Europe and Anatolia **Celts (modern) *Celtic languages **Proto-Celtic language *Celtic music *Celtic nations Sports Foot ...
for £2.4 million. In his first season with the club he was the top scorer (22 goals in all) and also won the 2011 Scottish Cup. Hooper has scored in the
Premier League The Premier League is a professional association football league in England and the highest level of the English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Football Lea ...
, Championship, League One, League Two,
FA Cup The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual Single-elimination tournament, knockout association football, football competition in domestic Football in England, English football. First played during ...
, League Cup,
Football League Trophy The English Football League Trophy, officially known as the Vertu Trophy for sponsorship reasons, is an annual English football knockout competition open to all clubs in EFL League One and EFL League Two and U-21 teams from the Premier Le ...
,
FA Trophy The Football Association Challenge Trophy, also known as the Isuzu FA Trophy for sponsorship reasons, is a men's football knockout cup competition run by and named after The Football Association (the FA) and competed by mainly National League ...
,
UEFA Champions League The UEFA Champions League (UCL) is an annual club association football competition organised by the UEFA, Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) that is contested by List of top-division football clubs in UEFA countries, top-divisio ...
,
UEFA Europa League The UEFA Europa League (UEL), usually known simply as the Europa League, is an annual association football, football club competition organised since 1971 by the UEFA, Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) for eligible European footb ...
,
Scottish Cup The Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup,Scottish League Cup The Scottish League Cup, also known as the Premier Sports Cup for sponsorship reasons, is a football competition open to all Scottish Professional Football League (SPFL) clubs. First held in 1946–47, it is the oldest national League cup in ...
and the
Scottish Premier League The Scottish Premier League (SPL) was the Scottish football league system, top-level league competition for professional Association football, football clubs in Scotland. The league was founded in 1998, when it broke away from the Scottish Foo ...
, the first and only player to achieve this feat. On top of this, he has also scored in the
Conference National The National League, officially known as Vanarama National League for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in England. The National League is the first division of the National League (English football), National Le ...
,
Conference South The National League South, officially Vanarama National League South, is a professional Association football league in England. National League South is the second division of the National Leagues and step 2 of the NLS and sixth-highest ti ...
, Southern League Premier Central, Isthmian League North Division,
A-League A-League Men, also known as the Isuzu UTE A-League for sponsorship reasons, is a professional soccer league in Australia and New Zealand and the highest level of the Australian soccer league system. Established in 2004 as the A-League by the ...
and the
Indian Super League The Indian Super League (ISL) is a professional association football league in India and the highest level of the Indian football league system. Administered by the All India Football Federation (AIFF) and its commercial partner Football Sport ...
. Hooper was born in England but has not represented the
national team A national sports team (commonly known as a national team or a national side) is a team that represents a nation, rather than a particular club or region, in an international sport. The term is most commonly associated with team sports, for exa ...
at any level. In March 2011 it was thought that he may be eligible to represent
Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...
. However, this possibility was later closed off. Since his move to Celtic he has been considered for England duty and was called up to the under-21 squad for a friendly but had to pull out due to injury. He was then included in the provisional squad for the
2011 UEFA European Under-21 Championship The 2011 UEFA European Under-21 Championship was the 18th staging of UEFA's UEFA European Under-21 Championship, European Under-21 Championship. The final tournament was hosted by Denmark between 11 and 25 June 2011. The Danish bid was chosen by ...
but did not go to the tournament.


Club career


Early career

Hooper was born in
Harlow Harlow is a town and local government district located in the west of Essex, England. Founded as a Planned community, new town in 1947, it is situated on the border with Hertfordshire, and occupies a large area of land on the south bank of the ...
,
Essex Essex ( ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the East of England, and one of the home counties. It is bordered by Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, the North Sea to the east, Kent across the Thames Estuary to the ...
and grew up in
Loughton Loughton () is a suburban town and civil parish in the Epping Forest District of Essex. The town borders Waltham Abbey, Theydon Bois, Chigwell, Chingford, and Buckhurst Hill, and lies north-east of Charing Cross. For statistical purposes ...
. He joined the
Tottenham Hotspur Tottenham Hotspur Football Club, commonly referred to as simply Tottenham (, , , ) or Spurs, is a professional Association football, football club based in Tottenham, North London, England. The club itself has stated that it should always ...
youth team at the age of seven. When he was 14 he played 20 minutes of a trial match and was then released by the club. After this he had trials with
Northampton Town Northampton Town Football Club is a professional association football club based in the town of Northampton, England. The team competes in EFL League One, League One, the third level of the English football league system. Founded in 1897, the c ...
and
Luton Town Luton Town Football Club is a professional association football, football club from Luton, Bedfordshire, England. The club currently competes in EFL League One, the third level of the English football league system. Nicknamed "The Hatters", L ...
. These proved unsuccessful and he started playing
Sunday league football Sunday league football is a term used in Britain, Ireland and Australia to describe the amateur association football competitions which take place on Sunday rather than the more usual Saturday. The term ''pub league'' may also be used, owing to ...
. He then had a short spell with Maldon Town.


Grays Athletic

Hooper joined
Isthmian League The Isthmian League () is a regional Association football, football league covering Greater London, East of England, East and South East England, featuring mostly semi-professional clubs. Founded in 1905 by amateur clubs in the London area, th ...
Premier Division club Grays Athletic in the 2003–04 season, being named as used substitute in an
Essex Senior Cup The Essex Senior Cup is a knock-out system football competition that has been running since 1884, and is the most prestigious cup competition in the county of Essex. The competition is run mainly for non-League clubs in the region, although leag ...
match against Braintree Town on 11 November 2003 whilst he was still 15 years old coming on for Edward Erekosima. His debut came the following season when Grays were promoted into the newly formed
Conference South The National League South, officially Vanarama National League South, is a professional Association football league in England. National League South is the second division of the National Leagues and step 2 of the NLS and sixth-highest ti ...
, helping them to win the league by scoring 12 goals in 30 league appearances. He started for Grays in the 2004–05
FA Trophy The Football Association Challenge Trophy, also known as the Isuzu FA Trophy for sponsorship reasons, is a men's football knockout cup competition run by and named after The Football Association (the FA) and competed by mainly National League ...
Final against
Hucknall Town Hucknall Town Football Club is a football club based in the town of Hucknall, Nottinghamshire, England. The club is a member of the and plays at the RM Stadium. History Hucknall Town were renamed from Hucknall Colliery Welfare in 1987 and for ...
, but was substituted towards the end of extra-time. The match went to penalties and Grays won the shoot-out 6–5. The following season in the
Conference National The National League, officially known as Vanarama National League for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in England. The National League is the first division of the National League (English football), National Le ...
, Hooper scored eight times in 40 league appearances. He was an unused substitute in Grays Athletic's 2–0 triumph over
Woking Woking ( ) is a town and borough status in the United Kingdom, borough in north-west Surrey, England, around from central London. It appears in Domesday Book as ''Wochinges'', and its name probably derives from that of a Anglo-Saxon settleme ...
in the final of the 2006 FA Trophy.Grays beat Cards to retain Trophy
BBC Sport, 14 May 2006
At the end of the 2006 season he was released by Grays. Hooper said that he was only getting substitute appearances for the last few minutes of matches and that he wanted to move.


Southend United

In July 2006, after his release by Grays, Hooper went on two trials. Firstly to League Two club Barnet, then to
Championship In sport, a championship is a competition in which the aim is to decide which individual or team is the champion. Championship systems Various forms of competition can be referred to by the term championship. Title match system In this sys ...
club Southend United, where he was given a one-year contract by manager
Steve Tilson Stephen Brian Tilson (born 27 July 1966) is an English football manager and former player. Tilson is best known for his time in charge of Southend United, where he was in charge for seven years, overseeing two promotions and later two relegat ...
the following month. On 24 October, Hooper scored twice in a 3–1 League Cup win over
Leeds United Leeds United Football Club is a professional football club based in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. The team compete in the Premier League, the top tier of the English football league system. Leeds United have won the League Championship th ...
. He went on to make 18 appearances for Southend in the Championship, although only two were starts. On 15 March, Hooper joined League One club
Leyton Orient Leyton Orient Football Club, commonly referred to as Orient, is a professional association football club based in Leyton, Waltham Forest, London, England. The team compete in EFL League One, the third level of the English football league system. ...
on loan for the rest of the season. Tilson said that this loan would allow him to assess whether Hooper merited a new contract and would give the young striker experience. Hooper was recalled from loan on 1 May before, already relegated, Southend's last match of the season. A number of players were out injured for the match and, five days after his recall, Hooper started in the 4–1 defeat to
Southampton Southampton is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Hampshire, England. It is located approximately southwest of London, west of Portsmouth, and southeast of Salisbury. Southampton had a population of 253, ...
. Hooper made 18 appearances in League One for Southend during the first half of the 2007–08 season, scoring twice. On 28 January 2008, Hooper signed a new 18-month contract to extend his stay with the club. He then moved on loan to League Two club
Hereford United Hereford United Football Club was an association football club based in Hereford, England. They played at Edgar Street for their entire history. They were nicknamed 'The Whites' or 'The Lilywhites', after their predominantly white kit, or 'Th ...
. At the start of the 2008–09 season. Hooper, along with three other strikers, was listed for transfer as Tilson looked to re-build his attack. Hereford had a bid accepted for Hooper after his successful loan spell, but could not afford to match the larger transfer fees offered by other teams. Several other League One clubs were interested in him.
Cheltenham Town Cheltenham Town Football Club is a professional association football club based in the town of Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England. The team competes in EFL League Two, the fourth level of the English football league system. Founded in 1887, ...
had a bid accepted but Hooper eventually decided to move to
Scunthorpe United Scunthorpe United Football Club is a professional association football club based in Scunthorpe, North Lincolnshire, England. The team competes in the National League, the fifth tier of the English football league system. The club was formed in ...
. He scored just four goals in 44 appearances during his time at Southend. Although he did have two successful loan spells.


Leyton Orient (loan)

On 15 March 2007, Hooper moved on loan to League One club
Leyton Orient Leyton Orient Football Club, commonly referred to as Orient, is a professional association football club based in Leyton, Waltham Forest, London, England. The team compete in EFL League One, the third level of the English football league system. ...
. Two days after joining the club he scored in a 2–2 draw with
Oldham Athletic Oldham Athletic Association Football Club is a professional association football club in Oldham, Greater Manchester, England. As of the 2025–26 EFL League Two, 2025–26 season, the team competes in EFL League Two, the fourth level of the Eng ...
after coming on as a substitute. A week later, he scored against League One leaders
Scunthorpe United Scunthorpe United Football Club is a professional association football club based in Scunthorpe, North Lincolnshire, England. The team competes in the National League, the fifth tier of the English football league system. The club was formed in ...
in another 2–2 draw. Hooper made two more appearances for Orient, before being recalled to Southend on 1 May, when the club activated a 24-hour return clause in his contract. Orient manager
Martin Ling Martin Ling (born 15 July 1966) is an English Association football, football manager and former player currently director of football for Leyton Orient F.C., Leyton Orient. He played in over 100 The Football League, Football League matches for ...
said that he thought Hooper had done well during his loan spell with the club and that he would monitor the progress of the young striker.


Hereford United (loan)

On 28 January 2008, Hooper signed a one-month loan deal with League Two club Hereford United. He made his debut two days after signing for them, starting in a 2–1 loss to Barnet. He scored in his next match for the club, a 1–0 win over
Rotherham United Rotherham United Football Club, nicknamed The Millers, is a professional association football club based in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, England. The team plays in EFL League One, the third tier of English football, after suffering relegation fr ...
. He played five more times, scoring four goals, before his loan deal was due to expire on 28 February. However, manager
Graham Turner Graham John Turner (born 5 October 1947) is an English former footballer who became a manager. His son Mark was also a professional footballer. He is fourth behind only Alex Ferguson, Neil Warnock and Arsène Wenger in terms of most games man ...
agreed a deal to keep him until the end of the season. Southend manager
Steve Tilson Stephen Brian Tilson (born 27 July 1966) is an English football manager and former player. Tilson is best known for his time in charge of Southend United, where he was in charge for seven years, overseeing two promotions and later two relegat ...
agreed to this despite having two strikers out injured at the time. Hooper's 11 goals in 19 appearances for Hereford helped them finish third in League Two and secure promotion.


Scunthorpe United

On 14 July 2008,
Scunthorpe United Scunthorpe United Football Club is a professional association football club based in Scunthorpe, North Lincolnshire, England. The team competes in the National League, the fifth tier of the English football league system. The club was formed in ...
signed Hooper for a fee of £125,000, rising to £175,000. Hooper signed a three-year contract with the League One club. In the first match of Scunthorpe's league campaign, Hooper scored in a 2–1 defeat at
Glanford Park Glanford Park, currently known as The Attis Arena for sponsorship reasons, is a association football, football stadium in Scunthorpe, Lincolnshire, England, and is the home of team Scunthorpe United F.C., Scunthorpe United. Opened in 1988 at ...
against
Leeds United Leeds United Football Club is a professional football club based in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. The team compete in the Premier League, the top tier of the English football league system. Leeds United have won the League Championship th ...
. He scored his first ever hat-trick against,
Brighton Brighton ( ) is a seaside resort in the city status in the United Kingdom, city of Brighton and Hove, East Sussex, England, south of London. Archaeological evidence of settlement in the area dates back to the Bronze Age Britain, Bronze Age, R ...
, on 6 September and netted seven goals in his first seven matches to help Scunthorpe's promotion push. After this teammate
Izzy Iriekpen Ezomo "Izzy" Iriekpen (born 14 May 1982) is an English former footballer who played as a defender. Club career West Ham United Born in Newham, London, Iriekpen joined West Ham United as a trainee in August 1998. He captained their FA Youth ...
paid tribute to Hooper saying that "As soon as he started training you could see there was something special there." On 28 October, league leaders, Scunthorpe suffered their first defeat in 12 matches as they lost 3–0 to
Oldham Athletic Oldham Athletic Association Football Club is a professional association football club in Oldham, Greater Manchester, England. As of the 2025–26 EFL League Two, 2025–26 season, the team competes in EFL League Two, the fourth level of the Eng ...
. Hooper came off with an injury in this match and it was feared he had broken his foot and may have been out for up to six months. However, scans later revealed that his foot was just badly bruised. He was labelled in the media as the latest from Scunthorpe's "production line for talented young forwards." He scored both goals in a win over promotion rivals
Millwall Millwall is a district on the western and southern side of the Isle of Dogs, in east London, England, in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It lies to the immediate south of Canary Wharf and Poplar, north of Greenwich and Deptford, east of ...
on 31 January 2009. Scunthorpe reached the final of the
Football League Trophy The English Football League Trophy, officially known as the Vertu Trophy for sponsorship reasons, is an annual English football knockout competition open to all clubs in EFL League One and EFL League Two and U-21 teams from the Premier Le ...
and faced League Two
Luton Town Luton Town Football Club is a professional association football, football club from Luton, Bedfordshire, England. The club currently competes in EFL League One, the third level of the English football league system. Nicknamed "The Hatters", L ...
. Hooper scored the opener but Luton pulled it back to win the match 3–2 in
extra-time Overtime (OT) or extra time (ET) is an additional period of play to bring a game to a decision and avoid declaring the match a tie or draw where the scores are the same. In some sports, this extra period is played only if the game is required t ...
. At the end of the season Hooper won Scunthorpe's Player of the Year award. He said he was delighted with the team's performance during the season, in which he scored 24 league goals to help Scunthorpe gain promotion. He then set himself a target of 15
Championship In sport, a championship is a competition in which the aim is to decide which individual or team is the champion. Championship systems Various forms of competition can be referred to by the term championship. Title match system In this sys ...
goals for the next season. He scored 30 goals in all competitions throughout the 2008–09 season, just three goals short of
Billy Sharp Billy Louis Sharp (born 5 February 1986) is an English professional footballer who plays as a striker for club Doncaster Rovers. Sharp has played for Sheffield United, Rushden & Diamonds, Scunthorpe United, Southampton, Nottingham Forest, Re ...
's record 33 goals in a season for Scunthorpe. At the start of the 2009–10 season,
Queens Park Rangers Queens Park Rangers Football Club, commonly abbreviated to QPR, is a professional association football club based in Shepherd's Bush, West London, England. The team currently compete in the EFL Championship, the second level of the English f ...
had a £1 million rejected for Hooper.
Coventry City Coventry City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Coventry, West Midlands. The club plays in the EFL Championship, the second tier of English football. The club is nicknamed The Sky Blues after the sky blue colou ...
were also rumoured to be interested in the striker. On 15 August, Hooper scored twice in a 3–2 win over
Derby County Derby County Football Club () is a professional association football club in Derby, England. They compete in the EFL Championship, the second level of the English football league system. One of the 12 founder members of the English Football ...
. Scunthorpe manager
Nigel Adkins Nigel Howard Adkins (born 11 March 1965) is an English professional football manager and former footballer and physiotherapist. He was most recently the manager and technical director at Tranmere Rovers. Adkins played as a goalkeeper for Tran ...
said that he thought Hooper was a "massive threat" to the opposition and that he was worried that other teams would try to sign him before the end of the transfer window. On 22 February,
captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...
Cliff Byrne Clifford Byrne (born 26 April 1982) is an Irish former Association football, footballer who played as a Defender (association football), defender. He is currently assistant manager at side Doncaster Rovers F.C., Doncaster Rovers. Playing care ...
, described Hooper as the kind of striker who could "create something out of nothing". He also stated that he hoped Hooper would stay at the club but if he did leave it would be for a lot of money. This was just after Hooper had scored in a 2–2 draw with
Watford Watford () is a town and non-metropolitan district with Borough status in the United Kingdom, borough status in Hertfordshire, England, northwest of Central London, on the banks of the River Colne, Hertfordshire, River Colne. Initially a smal ...
, taking his seasonal tally to 13. He scored a hat-trick against
Bristol City Bristol City Football Club is a professional football club based in Bristol, England. The team compete in the , the second level of the English football league system. Founded in 1894, the club competed in the Southern League and Western L ...
on his return from a groin injury on 17 April 2010, and added a further two goals at
Doncaster Rovers Doncaster Rovers Football Club is a professional association football club based in Doncaster, South Yorkshire, England. The team currently competes in EFL League One, the third level of the English football league system after winning the 202 ...
a week later. He scored 20 goals in 39 appearances in all competitions in the 2009–10 season, including 19 in 35 in the league, where he finished as third-top goal scorer behind
Peter Whittingham Peter Michael Whittingham (; 8 September 1984 – 18 March 2020) was an English professional Association football, footballer. His primary position was as a central midfielder, although he also sometimes operated as a wide midfielder on both the ...
and
Nicky Maynard Nicholas David Maynard (born 11 December 1986) is an English former professional footballer who played as a striker. He began his career at Crewe Alexandra, following over a decade in the club's Academy, and scored on his senior debut in Apr ...
who both scored 20. In 2012, Scunthorpe United fans voted Hooper as the club's best ever player.


Celtic

On 26 July 2010,
Scottish Premier League The Scottish Premier League (SPL) was the Scottish football league system, top-level league competition for professional Association football, football clubs in Scotland. The league was founded in 1998, when it broke away from the Scottish Foo ...
club
Celtic Celtic, Celtics or Keltic may refer to: Language and ethnicity *pertaining to Celts, a collection of Indo-European peoples in Europe and Anatolia **Celts (modern) *Celtic languages **Proto-Celtic language *Celtic music *Celtic nations Sports Foot ...
signed Hooper for £2.4 million. The move provided him with great experience, despite his young age of 22 when joining and kept him grounded. On 4 August 2010, Hooper scored on his debut for the club, against Portuguese
Primeira Liga The Primeira Liga (), also known as Liga Portugal Betclic for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in Portugal and the highest level of the Portuguese football league system. Organised and supervised by the Liga ...
club
Braga Braga (; ) is a cities of Portugal, city and a Municipalities of Portugal, municipality, capital of the northwestern Portugal, Portuguese Braga (district), district of Braga and of the historical and cultural Minho Province. Braga Municipality ...
in the Champions League
third qualifying round Third or 3rd may refer to: Numbers * 3rd, the ordinal form of the cardinal number 3 * , a fraction of one third * 1⁄60 of a ''second'', i.e., the third in a series of fractional parts in a sexagesimal number system Places * 3rd Street (dis ...
. Hooper tore his calf muscle in a friendly against
Blackburn Rovers Blackburn Rovers Football Club is a professional football club based in Blackburn, Lancashire, England, which competes in the , the second level of the English football league system. They have played home matches at Ewood Park since 1890. Th ...
just four days later on 8 August, keeping him out of action for almost six weeks. On 22 September 2010, Hooper made his return from injury in the League Cup, scoring in a 6–0 victory over
Inverness Caledonian Thistle Inverness Caledonian Thistle Football Club, commonly known as Caley Thistle, Inverness CT or just Inverness, is a professional football club based in Inverness, Scotland. The team competes in , the third tier of the Scottish Professional Footba ...
. On 25 September 2010, Hooper made his
Scottish Premier League The Scottish Premier League (SPL) was the Scottish football league system, top-level league competition for professional Association football, football clubs in Scotland. The league was founded in 1998, when it broke away from the Scottish Foo ...
debut in a 2–1 victory over Hibernian at
Celtic Park Celtic Park is a Soccer-specific stadium, football stadium and the home of Scottish Premiership team Celtic F.C., Celtic, in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, Scotland. With a capacity of 60,832, it is the largest List of football stadiums in Sco ...
. Hooper scored his
Scottish Premier League The Scottish Premier League (SPL) was the Scottish football league system, top-level league competition for professional Association football, football clubs in Scotland. The league was founded in 1998, when it broke away from the Scottish Foo ...
goal on 2 October, in a 3–1 win over
Hamilton Academical Hamilton Academical Football Club, often known as Hamilton Accies, or The Accies, is a Scottish football club from Hamilton, South Lanarkshire, who currently compete in . They were established in 1874 from the school football team at Hamilto ...
. and then scored a double against
Dundee United Dundee United Football Club is a Scotland, Scottish professional association football, football club based in the city of Dundee. Formed in 1909, originally as Dundee Hibernian, the club changed to the present name in 1923. United are nickname ...
at
Tannadice Tannadice Park, officially known as The CalForth Construction Arena for sponsorship reasons, is a football stadium in Dundee, Scotland. It is the home ground of Dundee United F.C., who have played at Tannadice since the club was founded as Du ...
on 17 October. One week later, he scored the opening goal in a 3–1 defeat to
Rangers A ranger is typically someone in a law enforcement or military/paramilitary role specializing in patrolling a given territory, called "ranging" or "scouting". The term most often refers to: * Park ranger or forest ranger, a person charged with prot ...
at
Celtic Park Celtic Park is a Soccer-specific stadium, football stadium and the home of Scottish Premiership team Celtic F.C., Celtic, in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, Scotland. With a capacity of 60,832, it is the largest List of football stadiums in Sco ...
. On 6 November, Hooper and strike partner Anthony Stokes each scored hat-tricks in a league record 9–0 win over
Aberdeen Aberdeen ( ; ; ) is a port city in North East Scotland, and is the List of towns and cities in Scotland by population, third most populous Cities of Scotland, Scottish city. Historically, Aberdeen was within the historic county of Aberdeensh ...
. The following week, he scored the winner against St Mirren. After recovering from an injury that kept him out of action during the Christmas period, Hooper returned to the team against Hibernian on 15 January 2011 and scored the opening goal in a 3–0 win. On 1 February, Hooper scored the first goal in a 3–0 win against
Aberdeen Aberdeen ( ; ; ) is a port city in North East Scotland, and is the List of towns and cities in Scotland by population, third most populous Cities of Scotland, Scottish city. Historically, Aberdeen was within the historic county of Aberdeensh ...
. He netted twice in Celtic's 3–0 victory over Rangers on 20 February. He grabbed another brace on 6 April 2011, in a 3–1 victory over Hibernian. Two weeks later, Hooper had a man of the match performance against
Kilmarnock Kilmarnock ( ; ; , ), meaning "the church of Mernóc", is a town and former burgh in East Ayrshire situated in southwest Scotland. The town has served as the administrative centre of East Ayrshire Council since 1996 and is the region's main ...
, scoring a goal and setting up another three in a 4–0 SPL victory. On 1 May 2011, Hooper scored in a 4–1 victory over Dundee United. He then scored a brace against Hearts, and the opener in a 4–0 win over
Motherwell Motherwell (, ) is a List of towns and cities in Scotland by population, town and former burgh in North Lanarkshire, Scotland, United Kingdom, south east of Glasgow. It has a population of around 32,120. Shires of Scotland, Historically in the p ...
, in the final
Scottish Premier League The Scottish Premier League (SPL) was the Scottish football league system, top-level league competition for professional Association football, football clubs in Scotland. The league was founded in 1998, when it broke away from the Scottish Foo ...
match of the season. Hooper was nominated for the PFA Player of the Year award, but lost out to teammate
Emilio Izaguirre Emilio Arturo Izaguirre Girón (; born 10 May 1986) is a Honduran former professional association football, footballer who played as a left-back. He is currently the sporting director of F.C. Motagua, Motagua. Izaguirre started his career at Mo ...
and was also picked in the PFA Scotland Team of the Year. Hooper won his first medal for Celtic in the
Scottish Cup The Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup,Motherwell Motherwell (, ) is a List of towns and cities in Scotland by population, town and former burgh in North Lanarkshire, Scotland, United Kingdom, south east of Glasgow. It has a population of around 32,120. Shires of Scotland, Historically in the p ...
in the
final Final, Finals or The Final may refer to: *Final examination or finals, a test given at the end of a course of study or training *Final (competition), the last or championship round of a sporting competition, match, game, or other contest which d ...
on 21 May 2011. During the 2010–11 season, Hooper had the best strike rate of any player in Britain, scoring 20 goals in 26 matches with a strike rate of 0.77 goals per match. This was also the fourth best strike rate in Europe, behind
Cristiano Ronaldo Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro (; born 5 February 1985) is a Portuguese professional Association football, footballer who plays as a Forward (association football), forward for and Captain (association football), captains both Saudi Pr ...
,
Lionel Messi Lionel Andrés "Leo" Messi (; born 24 June 1987) is an Argentine professional Association football, footballer who plays as a forward (association football), forward for and Captain (association football), captains both Major League Soccer ...
and Antonio Di Natale. On 24 July 2011, Hooper had a penalty saved by Graham Stack in Celtic's first match of the 2011–12 season, a 2–0 win over Hibs. On 13 August, he scored his first goal of the season in a 5–1 win over Dundee United. He also picked up an ankle injury which ruled him out for the next two matches. On 25 August he made his return in Celtic's 3–1 loss to
FC Sion Football Club Sion, commonly known as simply FC Sion or Sion, is a Swiss Association football, football club from the city of Sion, Switzerland, Sion. The club was founded in 1909 and play their home matches at the Stade Tourbillon. They have wo ...
. Three days later, he scored both goals in a 2–0 win over St Mirren. English
Premier League The Premier League is a professional association football league in England and the highest level of the English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Football Lea ...
clubs
Queens Park Rangers Queens Park Rangers Football Club, commonly abbreviated to QPR, is a professional association football club based in Shepherd's Bush, West London, England. The team currently compete in the EFL Championship, the second level of the English f ...
and
Wolverhampton Wanderers Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club ( ), commonly referred to as Wolves, is a professional association football, football club based in Wolverhampton, England. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football league s ...
expressed interest in signing Hooper on transfer deadline day of summer 2011, however Celtic rejected their enquiries about his availability. Hooper's regular strike partner Anthony Stokes said "He's a top, top player. I have no doubt one day he could play at the very top level but we want to keep him here as long as possible." Hooper scored in Celtic's 4–2 loss to rivals
Rangers A ranger is typically someone in a law enforcement or military/paramilitary role specializing in patrolling a given territory, called "ranging" or "scouting". The term most often refers to: * Park ranger or forest ranger, a person charged with prot ...
on 18 September 2011. This was his fourth goal in seven
Old Firm The Old Firm is a collective name for the Scottish football clubs Celtic and Rangers, which are both based in Glasgow. The two clubs are the most successful and popular in Scotland, and the rivalry between them has become deeply embedded i ...
matches. He then started Celtic's first
Scottish League Cup The Scottish League Cup, also known as the Premier Sports Cup for sponsorship reasons, is a football competition open to all Scottish Professional Football League (SPFL) clubs. First held in 1946–47, it is the oldest national League cup in ...
match of the season against Ross County, scoring one goal in a 2–0 win for Celtic. On 29 September he played in Celtic's 1–1 draw with Italian team
Udinese Udinese Calcio (; "Udinese Football") is a professional football club based in Udine, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Italy. The team currently competes in the Serie A, the first tier of Italian football. It was founded on 30 November 1896 as a sport ...
. After three minutes he won a penalty which Ki Sung-Yueng scored. He then gave away a penalty, which was converted, after 83 minutes when he fouled Neuton. A month later, he scored in Celtic's 4–1, League Cup quarter-final, victory over Hibernian. On 3 November, Hooper scored his first European goal of the season, netting the final goal of Celtic's 3–1
Europa League The UEFA Europa League (UEL), usually known simply as the Europa League, is an annual association football, football club competition organised since 1971 by the UEFA, Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) for eligible European footb ...
group stage win against
Rennes Rennes (; ; Gallo language, Gallo: ''Resnn''; ) is a city in the east of Brittany in Northwestern France at the confluence of the rivers Ille and Vilaine. Rennes is the prefecture of the Brittany (administrative region), Brittany Regions of F ...
, after coming on as a 78th-minute substitute for James Forrest. Three days later, he again came on as a substitute and scored the winner in a 2–1 win over Motherwell. On 26 November, he scored a hat-trick in a 5–0 win over St Mirren. After scoring five goals in November, he won the SPL Player of the Month award. On 15 December, Hooper scored in Celtic's final Europa League group match, a 1–1 draw against
Udinese Udinese Calcio (; "Udinese Football") is a professional football club based in Udine, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Italy. The team currently competes in the Serie A, the first tier of Italian football. It was founded on 30 November 1896 as a sport ...
which meant Celtic finished third in the group and didn't qualify for the knock-out stages. During the January transfer window, Championship league leaders
Southampton Southampton is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Hampshire, England. It is located approximately southwest of London, west of Portsmouth, and southeast of Salisbury. Southampton had a population of 253, ...
made several bids for Hooper. However, they were rejected by Celtic and Hooper reiterated his desire to stay with the club. On 14 January, Hooper scored in a 2–1 win over Dundee United. He then scored in Celtic's 4–0 win against Hearts on 8 February. On 29 April 2012, Hooper scored the final goal as Celtic beat Rangers 3–0 at Celtic Park. This was his fifth goal in 10 appearances against Rangers. On 13 May, Hooper scored all five goals for Celtic as they beat Hearts 5–0 in the final SPL match of the season, securing his position as the top scorer in the Scottish Premier League with 24 goals and winning the Golden Boot. After
Southampton Southampton is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Hampshire, England. It is located approximately southwest of London, west of Portsmouth, and southeast of Salisbury. Southampton had a population of 253, ...
had won promotion to the
Premier League The Premier League is a professional association football league in England and the highest level of the English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Football Lea ...
there was speculation linking them with a £7m for Hooper at the start of the 2012–13 season. However, Hooper stated that he was happy at Celtic and was looking forward to playing Champions League football. On 1 August 2012, Hooper started the season in scoring form, in Celtic's 2–1 victory against
HJK Helsinki Helsingin Jalkapalloklubi (), commonly known as HJK Helsinki (), or simply as HJK (), is a Finnish football club based in Helsinki. The club competes in Veikkausliiga, the top division of the Finnish football league system. Founded in 1907, the ...
in the first leg of the Champions League Third Qualifying Round. On 25 September 2012, Hooper scored all 4 goals in Celtic's
Scottish League Cup The Scottish League Cup, also known as the Premier Sports Cup for sponsorship reasons, is a football competition open to all Scottish Professional Football League (SPFL) clubs. First held in 1946–47, it is the oldest national League cup in ...
tie against Raith Rovers at
Celtic Park Celtic Park is a Soccer-specific stadium, football stadium and the home of Scottish Premiership team Celtic F.C., Celtic, in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, Scotland. With a capacity of 60,832, it is the largest List of football stadiums in Sco ...
, the match finished 4–1. On 29 September 2012, Hooper scored the first goal in a 2–0 victory over
Motherwell Motherwell (, ) is a List of towns and cities in Scotland by population, town and former burgh in North Lanarkshire, Scotland, United Kingdom, south east of Glasgow. It has a population of around 32,120. Shires of Scotland, Historically in the p ...
at
Fir Park Fir Park Stadium is a football stadium situated in Motherwell, North Lanarkshire, Scotland. The stadium plays host to the home matches of Scottish Premiership club Motherwell and was the temporary home of Gretna for the 2007–2008 SPL season. ...
, this resulted in Celtic going to first spot in the
Scottish Premier League The Scottish Premier League (SPL) was the Scottish football league system, top-level league competition for professional Association football, football clubs in Scotland. The league was founded in 1998, when it broke away from the Scottish Foo ...
. Hooper scored his seventh goal in four matches, against Spartak Moscow in the
UEFA Champions League The UEFA Champions League (UCL) is an annual club association football competition organised by the UEFA, Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) that is contested by List of top-division football clubs in UEFA countries, top-divisio ...
; Celtic won the match 3–2 at Spartak Stadium, recording their first ever away victory in the
UEFA Champions League The UEFA Champions League (UCL) is an annual club association football competition organised by the UEFA, Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) that is contested by List of top-division football clubs in UEFA countries, top-divisio ...
proper. During January 2013, Hooper scored braces against Hearts and Dundee United in high scoring wins at home for Celtic, and also scored the only goal in a 1–0 away win at Motherwell. That run of goalscoring saw him win the SPL Player of the Month Award. Celtic clinched their second successive
Scottish Premier League The Scottish Premier League (SPL) was the Scottish football league system, top-level league competition for professional Association football, football clubs in Scotland. The league was founded in 1998, when it broke away from the Scottish Foo ...
title on 21 April 2013 with a 4–1 win over
Inverness Caledonian Thistle Inverness Caledonian Thistle Football Club, commonly known as Caley Thistle, Inverness CT or just Inverness, is a professional football club based in Inverness, Scotland. The team competes in , the third tier of the Scottish Professional Footba ...
at
Parkhead Parkhead () is a district in the East End of Glasgow. Its name comes from a small weaving hamlet (place), hamlet at the meeting place of the Great Eastern Road (now the Gallowgate and Tollcross Road) and Westmuir Street. Glasgow's Eastern Necro ...
. Hooper scored twice in the match. On 26 May 2013, Hooper scored twice for Celtic in their 3–0 win over Hibernian in the
Scottish Cup Final The Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the Scottish Cup, is a knockout cup competition in Scottish football. Organised by the Scottish Football Association, it is the third oldest existing football competition in the wo ...
. On 12 June 2013, English
Premier League The Premier League is a professional association football league in England and the highest level of the English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Football Lea ...
club Hull City made an undisclosed bid, believed to be about £4.5m, for Hooper which Celtic rejected. As transfer speculation increased over the summer, Hooper played what proved to be his final match for Celtic on 23 July when he came on a second-half substitute in a Champions League qualifier against
Cliftonville Cliftonville is a coastal area of Margate in the Thanet District, Thanet district of Kent, England. It includes the Palm Bay, UK, Palm Bay estate, built in the 1930s with wide avenues and detached and semi-detached houses with driveways, gar ...
. He replaced Anthony Stokes on 65 minutes and almost scored nine minutes later with an overhead kick that hit the post. Celtic manager
Neil Lennon Neil Francis Lennon (born 25 June 1971) is a Northern Irish professional football manager and former player who played as a midfielder. He currently manages Scottish Championship club Dunfermline Athletic. During his playing career he represe ...
later claimed that Hooper was Celtic's best striker since
Henrik Larsson Edward Henrik Larsson (; born 20 September 1971) is a Swedish professional association football, football coach and former player who played many times for the Sweden men's national football team, Swedish national team. A Striker (association f ...
.


Norwich City

On 26 July 2013, Hooper signed a three-year contract with English
Premier League The Premier League is a professional association football league in England and the highest level of the English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Football Lea ...
club
Norwich City Norwich City Football Club is a professional football club based in Norwich, Norfolk, England. The club competes in the Championship, the second tier of English football. The club was founded in 1902. Since 1935, Norwich have played their h ...
for an undisclosed fee, believed to be £5m, with Norwich having the option of a further year to Hooper's contract. Hooper made his competitive début for Norwich on 21 September 2013 in a Premier League 1–0 home loss to
Aston Villa Aston Villa Football Club (commonly referred to as simply Villa) is a professional football club based in Aston, Birmingham, England. The club, founded in 1874, compete in the Premier League, the top tier of English football. The team have p ...
as a 63rd-minute substitute. In his first start for the club, Hooper scored a brace to secure a 3–2 victory over
Watford Watford () is a town and non-metropolitan district with Borough status in the United Kingdom, borough status in Hertfordshire, England, northwest of Central London, on the banks of the River Colne, Hertfordshire, River Colne. Initially a smal ...
in the third round of the League Cup on 24 September. On 9 November 2013, Hooper scored his first
Premier League The Premier League is a professional association football league in England and the highest level of the English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Football Lea ...
goal from the penalty spot against
West Ham United West Ham United Football Club is a professional Association football, football club based in Stratford, London, Stratford, East London, England. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football league system, English f ...
at Carrow Road to level the scores at 1–1.
Norwich City Norwich City Football Club is a professional football club based in Norwich, Norfolk, England. The club competes in the Championship, the second tier of English football. The club was founded in 1902. Since 1935, Norwich have played their h ...
won the match 3–1, with Hooper being voted as Man of the Match. Due to this goal, he became the first player to score in the top 4 divisions of the English league, the top division of the Scottish League and two cup competitions in each country, as well as the
UEFA Champions League The UEFA Champions League (UCL) is an annual club association football competition organised by the UEFA, Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) that is contested by List of top-division football clubs in UEFA countries, top-divisio ...
and
UEFA Europa League The UEFA Europa League (UEL), usually known simply as the Europa League, is an annual association football, football club competition organised since 1971 by the UEFA, Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) for eligible European footb ...
. Hooper scored his second
Premier League The Premier League is a professional association football league in England and the highest level of the English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Football Lea ...
goal and fourth goal in all competitions in just his seventh start for
Norwich City Norwich City Football Club is a professional football club based in Norwich, Norfolk, England. The club competes in the Championship, the second tier of English football. The club was founded in 1902. Since 1935, Norwich have played their h ...
, on 30 November 2013 against Crystal Palace F.C., Crystal Palace, which
Norwich City Norwich City Football Club is a professional football club based in Norwich, Norfolk, England. The club competes in the Championship, the second tier of English football. The club was founded in 1902. Since 1935, Norwich have played their h ...
won 1–0 for a vital 3 points. On 7 December, Hooper scored his fifth
Norwich City Norwich City Football Club is a professional football club based in Norwich, Norfolk, England. The club competes in the Championship, the second tier of English football. The club was founded in 1902. Since 1935, Norwich have played their h ...
goal and third
Premier League The Premier League is a professional association football league in England and the highest level of the English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Football Lea ...
goal against West Bromwich Albion F.C., West Bromwich Albion at The Hawthorns, a first time angled shot across goalkeeper Boaz Myhill into the corner after a through ball from Leroy Fer, the match ended in a 0–2
Norwich City Norwich City Football Club is a professional football club based in Norwich, Norfolk, England. The club competes in the Championship, the second tier of English football. The club was founded in 1902. Since 1935, Norwich have played their h ...
victory. On 15 December, Hooper scored in consecutive
Premier League The Premier League is a professional association football league in England and the highest level of the English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Football Lea ...
matches, the one-time
Scunthorpe United Scunthorpe United Football Club is a professional association football club based in Scunthorpe, North Lincolnshire, England. The team competes in the National League, the fifth tier of the English football league system. The club was formed in ...
frontman took one touch on his chest after a Johan Elmander lay off, before hitting a superb volley 25 yards out over Michel Vorm and into the roof of the net, levelling the score at 1–1. Hooper would score again on the Boxing Day fixture against Fulham F.C., Fulham as his shot deflected off of Aaron Hughes and past goalkeeper David Stockdale, thus making Hooper the first-ever
Norwich City Norwich City Football Club is a professional football club based in Norwich, Norfolk, England. The club competes in the Championship, the second tier of English football. The club was founded in 1902. Since 1935, Norwich have played their h ...
player to score in four successive
Premier League The Premier League is a professional association football league in England and the highest level of the English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Football Lea ...
matches at Carrow Road. Hooper finished his first season at Norwich as the club's top scorer with eight goals, but was unable to prevent his team's relegation from the Premier League to the Championship. A calf injury then saw Hooper miss the first couple of months of the following season. After returning to the team in October, he finally scored his first goal of the season on 22 November 2014 in a 3–3 draw at home against
Brighton Brighton ( ) is a seaside resort in the city status in the United Kingdom, city of Brighton and Hove, East Sussex, England, south of London. Archaeological evidence of settlement in the area dates back to the Bronze Age Britain, Bronze Age, R ...
. The goals then began to flow for Hooper; the striker scoring twice in a 6–1 win over
Millwall Millwall is a district on the western and southern side of the Isle of Dogs, in east London, England, in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It lies to the immediate south of Canary Wharf and Poplar, north of Greenwich and Deptford, east of ...
on Boxing Day where he was described as "outstanding" by manager Neil Adams (footballer), Neil Adams, then after being dropped from the team, he returned to score a hat trick on 7 February 2015 in a 4–0 win over Blackpool F.C., Blackpool, taking his total for the season to date up to nine goals. Hooper eventually scored 12 goals in the league, and helped Norwich to third place in the league. Hooper only appeared briefly as a substitute during the promotion play-off ties against Ipswich Town F.C., Ipswich Town and was an unused substitute in the play-off final at Wembley against Middlesbrough F.C., Middlesbrough. Norwich, however, won the final 2–0 to regain their place in the Premier League. With Norwich back in the Premier League, Hooper was struggling to hold down a place in the team. By September 2015 he had only played ten minutes in the opening league match against Crystal Palace F.C., Crystal Palace, and an 89th-minute substitute appearance against
Southampton Southampton is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Hampshire, England. It is located approximately southwest of London, west of Portsmouth, and southeast of Salisbury. Southampton had a population of 253, ...
. A loan move to Sheffield Wednesday F.C, Sheffield Wednesday fell through despite the Yorkshire club agreeing to pay Norwich £500,000 and match Hooper's £32,000 weekly wage. Hooper denied press reports that the move collapsed due to his demand for Sheffield Wednesday to provide him with a VIP box at their stadium for his family and friends. He remained at Norwich for a few more weeks, but sustained an ankle injury in training. Sheffield Wednesday made a further attempt to sign Hooper on loan, and on 27 October he agreed to join them until January 2016. Hooper made his first appearance for Sheffield Wednesday on 31 October 2015, coming on as a late substitute in a 1–0 win at home against Nottingham Forest F.C., Nottingham Forest in the Championship. In his seventh appearance in all competitions for the club, Hooper scored his first goal for Sheffield Wednesday in a 2–1 defeat at away against Milton Keynes Dons F.C., MK Dons. In Hooper's final two matches for Sheffield Wednesday before his loan expired, he managed to score four goals which contributed hugely in Wednesday's victories against Bolton Wanderers F.C., Bolton Wanderers and
Leeds United Leeds United Football Club is a professional football club based in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. The team compete in the Premier League, the top tier of the English football league system. Leeds United have won the League Championship th ...
.


Sheffield Wednesday

On 22 January 2016, Hooper signed for Wednesday permanently, on a three-and-a-half-year deal. The fee was undisclosed but believed to be around £3 million. He was released by Sheffield Wednesday at the end of the 2018–19 season, having scored 31 goals in 89 games.


Wellington Phoenix

On 17 October 2019, Hooper signed for the Wellington Phoenix FC, Wellington Phoenix, who play in the A-League, as a marquee striker. He scored his first goal for the ''Nix'' in his starting debut with a header against Melbourne City on 3 November 2019. Following his debut, Hooper would come off the bench in his following six games in an effort to rebuild match fitness; this included one game for the Wellington Phoenix FC Reserves, Wellington Phoenix Reserves in New Zealand's New Zealand Football Championship, ISPS Handa Premiership, playing the first half and scoring in a 2–2 draw against Eastern Suburbs AFC, Eastern Suburbs on 21 December 2019. He made his starting debut against Central Coast Mariners, scoring the opening goal in the process. Hooper would then start all remaining games bar one, becoming the spearhead of Wellington's attack. Until the A-League season was disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, Hooper scored six goals and assisted a further four, helping the Wellington Phoenix to their best season in club history.


Kerala Blasters

On 12 September, it was announced that Hooper had signed a one-year deal with the
Indian Super League The Indian Super League (ISL) is a professional association football league in India and the highest level of the Indian football league system. Administered by the All India Football Federation (AIFF) and its commercial partner Football Sport ...
club Kerala Blasters FC. Hooper scored his first goal for the club against NorthEast United FC, NorthEast United through a penalty on the 45th minute of the match. The match ended in a 2–2 draw. On 21 February 2021, Hooper scored the 200th league goal of his career through a penalty against Chennaiyin FC. On 11 June 2021, the club officially announced the departure of Hooper.


Return to Wellington Phoenix

On 15 June, the Phoenix announced the return of Hooper on a two-year deal. On 25 March 2022, Wellington Phoenix announced that his contract will be terminated a year early.


Omonoia Nicosia

On 2 September 2022, he signed for AC Omonia in Cyprus, linking up with his former manager at Celtic,
Neil Lennon Neil Francis Lennon (born 25 June 1971) is a Northern Irish professional football manager and former player who played as a midfielder. He currently manages Scottish Championship club Dunfermline Athletic. During his playing career he represe ...
. On 10 February 2023, he left the club by mutual consent, with the club stating he "asked to leave for personal reasons and his wish was respected".


Gulf United

The same day as leaving Omonia, he signed for UAE Second Division League, UAE Second Division club Gulf United FC, Gulf United, on the UAE's transfer deadline day. Hooper left United later in 2023.


Barnet

On 3 October 2023, he returned to English football to sign for National League (division), National League club Barnet, subject to international clearance. Hooper scored twice in 14 appearances in the first two months after signing, but did not play for the club again after December and was released at the end of the season.


Kettering Town

On 17 October 2024, Hooper joined Southern Football League, Southern League Premier Division Central club Kettering Town F.C., Kettering Town. He scored on his debut, five minutes after coming on as a substitute in a league game against rivals Stourbridge F.C., Stourbridge. In February 2025, Kettering announced that Hooper had left the club by mutual consent.


Maldon & Tiptree

In February 2025, Hooper joined Maldon & Tiptree in the
Isthmian League The Isthmian League () is a regional Association football, football league covering Greater London, East of England, East and South East England, featuring mostly semi-professional clubs. Founded in 1905 by amateur clubs in the London area, th ...
North Division. He made his debut for the club on 15 February 2025, in a goalless draw with Cambridge City F.C., Cambridge City, and scored his first goal for the club in a 5–0 win over Basildon United F.C., Basildon United on 22 February.


International career

Hooper has not represented England national football team, England at any level. His paternal grandfather William Hooper was raised in the Scottish Borders, and this led to hopes that Hooper could be eligible to play for
Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...
. Then Scotland head coach Craig Levein sought clarification as to the place of birth his grandfather's birth certificate recorded, as he had been born in a hospital in the Anglo-Scottish border, English border town Berwick-upon-Tweed. The possibility was closed off when it was confirmed that his grandfather was included in the English Births Index. On 13 March 2011, Hooper was included by Stuart Pearce in his 31-man squad for the England national under-21 football team, England under-21 team to play Denmark national under-21 football team, Denmark and Iceland national under-21 football team, Iceland. However, Hooper pulled out of the squad due to injury. On 3 May 2011, he was named in the 40-man provisional squad for the
2011 UEFA European Under-21 Championship The 2011 UEFA European Under-21 Championship was the 18th staging of UEFA's UEFA European Under-21 Championship, European Under-21 Championship. The final tournament was hosted by Denmark between 11 and 25 June 2011. The Danish bid was chosen by ...
, but did not make the final selection. In February 2012, BBC Sport reported that the Football Association of Wales were investigating his eligibility, but Hooper was unaware of having any Welsh ancestry. Hooper declared his desire to play for Great Britain men's Olympic football team, Great Britain at the 2012 Summer Olympics, but was not selected. In November 2012, Hooper was set to join teammate Fraser Forster in the England national football team, England squad for their upcoming friendly against Sweden men's national football team, Sweden in Stockholm, after it was revealed The Football Association had contacted Celtic about the fitness of Hooper. They were handed a bleak prognosis by Celtic's medical team, meaning Hooper couldn't make the squad through injury.


Style of play

Hooper has all the main attributes to play as a striker: he is strong and can hold up the ball well. He is also a good finisher; he has been described as being a 'penalty box striker'. However, he can also pass the ball well and this allows midfielders to play-off him. He has received praise since moving to Scotland. The ''Daily Record (Scotland), Daily Record'' described him as being one of the most skilled attackers in the SPL. They also said that he had shown that he could deal with the physical nature of the Scottish game, due to his ability to ride a challenge well. One criticism that Steve Claridge had when analysing Hooper's game was that "[he often] played at either breakneck speed when involved in play or at walking pace when not". Claridge noted that Hooper needed to work harder to make himself available to his teammates for passes, especially long balls out from defence. While at Celtic, Hooper struck up an excellent partnership with fellow striker Anthony Stokes. They scored over 40 goals between them in their first season together and were considered to be Celtic's best strike partnership, although on many occasions, especially for big matches, Georgios Samaras was often used alongside Hooper. Hooper expressed his disappointment at this because he felt that he worked very well with Stokes. In their partnership Hooper usually had a more advanced role, playing off the shoulder of the last defender, or in the box, and making runs in behind. His strength, pace, finishing ability and awareness made him suitably adapted to this role. Stokes usually played a deeper role, coming short to get the ball and creating space through his dribbling skill and passing. Although Hooper is more suited to an advanced role, and Stokes to a deeper one, they were capable of switching and both have the skills required to play in either role. This made it very hard for defenders to mark them. During his time as manager at
Rangers A ranger is typically someone in a law enforcement or military/paramilitary role specializing in patrolling a given territory, called "ranging" or "scouting". The term most often refers to: * Park ranger or forest ranger, a person charged with prot ...
, Ally McCoist showed his players footage of a goal Hooper scored against them at
Celtic Park Celtic Park is a Soccer-specific stadium, football stadium and the home of Scottish Premiership team Celtic F.C., Celtic, in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, Scotland. With a capacity of 60,832, it is the largest List of football stadiums in Sco ...
. "He makes a run from the halfway line on the left hand side. I watched it and I showed our players it", said McCoist, adding that "he [Hooper] just has a desire to run and run and just get on the end of a cross. You can't buy that, you can't teach that".


Career statistics


Honours

Grays Athletic *Conference South: 2004–05 Football Conference#Conference South, 2004–05 *
FA Trophy The Football Association Challenge Trophy, also known as the Isuzu FA Trophy for sponsorship reasons, is a men's football knockout cup competition run by and named after The Football Association (the FA) and competed by mainly National League ...
: 2004–05 FA Trophy, 2004–05, 2005–06 FA Trophy, 2005–06 Hereford United *Football League Two third-place promotion: 2007–08 Football League Two, 2007–08 Scunthorpe United *Football League One play-offs: 2009 Football League play-offs#League One, 2009 *
Football League Trophy The English Football League Trophy, officially known as the Vertu Trophy for sponsorship reasons, is an annual English football knockout competition open to all clubs in EFL League One and EFL League Two and U-21 teams from the Premier Le ...
runner-up: 2008–09 Football League Trophy, 2008–09 Celtic *
Scottish Premier League The Scottish Premier League (SPL) was the Scottish football league system, top-level league competition for professional Association football, football clubs in Scotland. The league was founded in 1998, when it broke away from the Scottish Foo ...
: 2011–12 Scottish Premier League, 2011–12, 2012–13 Scottish Premier League, 2012–13 *
Scottish Cup The Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup,Celtic Celtic, Celtics or Keltic may refer to: Language and ethnicity *pertaining to Celts, a collection of Indo-European peoples in Europe and Anatolia **Celts (modern) *Celtic languages **Proto-Celtic language *Celtic music *Celtic nations Sports Foot ...
top scorer: 2010-11 Celtic F.C. season#Celtic personnel awards, 2010–11, 2011-12 Celtic F.C. season#Celtic personnel awards, 2011–12, 2012-13 Celtic F.C. season#Goalscorers, 2012–13 *
Scunthorpe United Scunthorpe United Football Club is a professional association football club based in Scunthorpe, North Lincolnshire, England. The team competes in the National League, the fifth tier of the English football league system. The club was formed in ...
Greatest Ever Player: Scunthorpe United F.C., 2012 *
Scunthorpe United Scunthorpe United Football Club is a professional association football club based in Scunthorpe, North Lincolnshire, England. The team competes in the National League, the fifth tier of the English football league system. The club was formed in ...
Player of the Year: 2008–09 Scunthorpe United F.C. season, 2008–09 *List of Scottish Premier League monthly award winners, Scottish Premier League Player of the Month: 2011–12 Scottish Premier League#Player of the Month, November 2011, 2012–13 Scottish Premier League#Player of the Month, January 2013


References


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Gary Hooper statistics
@ Grays Athletics Online. {{DEFAULTSORT:Hooper, Gary 1988 births Living people Footballers from Harlow Sportspeople from Loughton English men's footballers Men's association football forwards Tottenham Hotspur F.C. players Grays Athletic F.C. players Southend United F.C. players Leyton Orient F.C. players Hereford United F.C. players Scunthorpe United F.C. players Celtic F.C. players Norwich City F.C. players Sheffield Wednesday F.C. players Wellington Phoenix FC players Kerala Blasters FC players AC Omonia players Gulf United FC players Barnet F.C. players Kettering Town F.C. players Maldon & Tiptree F.C. players National League (English football) players English Football League players Scottish Premier League players Scottish league football top scorers Premier League players A-League Men players New Zealand Football Championship players Indian Super League players Cypriot First Division players UAE Second Division League players Southern Football League players Isthmian League players English expatriate men's footballers Expatriate men's association footballers in New Zealand English expatriate sportspeople in New Zealand Expatriate men's footballers in India English expatriate sportspeople in India Expatriate men's footballers in Cyprus English expatriate sportspeople in Cyprus Expatriate men's footballers in the United Arab Emirates English expatriate sportspeople in the United Arab Emirates 21st-century English sportsmen