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On reflection, the signing of Gary Hooper by Neil Lennon back in the summer of 2010, in what was one of Lennon’s first purchases after being named Celtic boss, was a bit of a gamble.
Hooper had been a prolific striker for Scunthorpe United, but it was a risk signing a player who had only played in the English lower leagues.
Still, Lennon was very keen to sign the player, and a deal was done for a reported fee of £2.4m. It turned out to be money well spent, as in his time in Glasgow, Hooper was a prolific striker for the club.
YouTube: Gary Hooper Celtic Goals
Hooper was only at Celtic for three full seasons, but he scored a lot of goals in those three years. In his time with the Hoops,
Hooper scored 82 goals in 138 games. If he had stayed with the Bhoys for another season, there is no doubt that he would have scored 100 goals for the side.
One of Hooper’s best performances for the club came in his first season, as he scored twice in an emphatic 3-0 win over Rangers.
His work for both goals was excellent, particularly the second goal, where he got on the end of Georgios Samaras’ pass. It was one of the best displays by a Celtic striker in a Glasgow derby.
Hooper didn’t win the league in his first season with the club, but thankfully he did in his other two seasons with the Hoops.
One of the main reasons for Celtic’s success in Hooper’s time with the Bhoys was his strike partnership with Anthony Stokes.
The partnership seems to be slightly forgotten about, which is unfair, as the duo worked very well together. One of their best performances came in the 2013 Scottish Cup Final, where Stokes provided the assists for Hooper’s two goals in the 3-0 win over Hibernian.
YouTube: Hibernian 0-3 Celtic / Highlights ( William Hill Scottish Cup Final 2013 )
The partnership might not be on the level as Henrik Larsson and Chris Sutton, but the duo deserves to be remembered by the Celtic support for what they achieved together.
With the form that Hooper showed for the club it was no surprise that teams in England were interested in signing the striker, and he eventually left the Bhoys at the start of the 2013/14 season, joining Norwich City.
Hooper found it difficult to match his Celtic goal scoring exploits whilst he was at the Carrow Road side, and he eventually joined Sheffield Wednesday.
It is his time at Celtic that will probably be most remembered though. The team he played with in his first season, 2010/11, were an exciting, attacking line-up, who made Celtic fun to watch again after the drudgery of Tony Mowbray’s season in charge with the Hoops.
Hooper was a big part of that side, and he fully deserved the success he enjoyed at Celtic Park. It is a pity that he hasn’t been as prolific since leaving the Bhoys, but he has still had a good career overall.
