The Rise & Fall Of Gary Hooper

There’s nothing truer than the old adage that “the grass isn’t always greener on the other side.”

Just ask our old friend Gary Hooper.

It seems to be the case for him, as our one time golden bhoy’s career has floundered since leaving Paradise.

Whilst others like Wanyama, Van Dijk and Forster seem to have flourished and Ki and Ledley seemed to have adapted well to life in England’s top tier, Gary has sunk like a rock.

I was genuinely gutted when he left for Norwich four years ago; he was a proper penalty box striker who had the potential to become a Celtic great. After all he socred 63 goals in 95 games for the Hoops. A fantastic return for any striker in any league.

Like Griffiths, he just seems to know where the goal is and he tortured teams here at times.

Norwich for me was the wrong move – I’m guessing his agent advised him to go to a provincial club, bang the goals in and get another move.

But sometimes life just kicks you square in the nuts.

Despite the former Celtic man finishing his first season at Norwich as the club’s top scorer with eight goals, his lowly return was unable to prevent his side’s relegation from the Premier League down into the Championship (the toughest league in the world we’re told).

Injuries then saw Hooper’s progress hampered, as he missed the first couple of months of the following season.

 After returning to the side in October, he bagged his first goal of the season  then after being dropped from the side he returned to score a hat trick in February.

Hooper eventually scored 12 goals in the league helping Norwich to third place, assuring a place in the play-offs against bitter rivals Ipswich which they duly won – but can he equate that to winning titles and playing Champions League Football?

Norwich won the Final 2-0 v Middlesbrough meaning a return to the Premier League, surely kick-starting his career?

Nope.

Hooper, again struggled to hold down a place and by September 2015 he had only played 10 minutes of football which for any player would be soul-destroying.

What had gone wrong?

Was he unfit?

Did his style of player not suit them?

Hooper, remember, played and scored at Europe’s highest level.

Sheffield Wednesday were lurking but a loan deal fell through and rumour has it that the  Yorkshire club refused to give him a hospitality box for his family, something I would take with a pinch of salt. Hooper always appeared to be a decent chap, especially when interviewed by the press.

To rub salt into the wound he picked up a further injury.

Eventually the move happened with Hooper going on loan and signing a permanent deal with Wednesday in January of last year.

He’s managed just 34 appearances with a 12 goal return in the last calendar year.

I often look out for his name on the team sheet for the teams he’s played for since leaving the Hoops but all too often it’s not there.

Is this all down to injury? Moving to the wrong team?

I have no doubts about his abilities.

Hooper is strong. He is also a fantastic finisher and he could bring the midfield into play well and held it up to do so. He could ride the tackle too and could take the hustle and bustle of the SPL’s defenders.

A well-known trait of his was that he often made lung bursting runs, especially in one game against Rangers when he ran from the half way line to get on the end of the ball to score. His celebration in slow-motion is iconic.

What the hell happened?

I’ll fall on the side of ambition.

I know that he’d be on a bigger pay cheque down south but he probably thought, like many others that Scotland is a backwater.

Tell that to Southampton.

Celtic carved and sculpted these players for the EPL and look at them now.

But as Hooper was trudging off the field of play today, returning from injury again, as Wednesdays U23 lost to Crewe, I’m damned sure the Champions League tune wasn’t ringing in his ears. It never will again, unless he’s watching it on the telly.

He did, however, put his side 1-0 up today. Perhaps this has a happyish ending after all?

Gavin McCann is a Celtic blogger from Glasgow, who has huge sympathy for our former striker.