Gary Hooper

Gary Hooper (born 26 January 1988) is an English professional footballer who plays as a forward for Barnet.

Hooper started his career at non-League club Grays Athletic in 2003.

Hooper joined Isthmian League Premier Division club Grays Athletic in the 2003–04 season, being named as used substitute in an Essex Senior Cup 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, helping them to win the league by scoring 12 goals in 30 league appearances.

While there he won the 2004–05 Conference South, as well as the FA Trophy twice in 2005 and 2006.

He started for Grays in the 2004–05 FA Trophy Final against Hucknall Town, 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, Hooper scored eight times in 40 league appearances.

After this Championship club Southend United signed him on a free transfer in 2006.

He was an unused substitute in Grays Athletic's 2–0 triumph over Woking in the final of the 2006 FA Trophy.

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.

In July 2006, after his release by Grays, Hooper went on two trials.

Firstly to League Two club Barnet, then to Championship club Southend United, where he was given a one-year contract by manager Steve Tilson the following month.

On 24 October, Hooper scored twice in a 3–1 League Cup win over Leeds United.

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 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.

He was loaned out twice by the club, on a three-month loan to League One club Leyton Orient in 2007 and a six-month loan to League Two club Hereford United in 2008.

Hooper made 18 appearances in League One for Southend during the first half of the 2007–08 season, scoring twice.

Scunthorpe United signed him in 2008, for a fee of £175,000.

After two years he was signed by Scottish Premier League club Celtic for £2.4 million.

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.

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, Championship, League One, League Two, FA Cup, League Cup, Football League Trophy, FA Trophy, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, Scottish Cup, Scottish League Cup and the Scottish Premier League, the first and only player to achieve this feat.

On top of this, he has also scored in the Conference National, Conference South, A-League and the Indian Super League.

Hooper was born in England but has not represented the national team at any level.

In March 2011 it was thought that he may be eligible to represent Scotland.

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 but did not go to the tournament.

Hooper was born in Harlow, Essex and grew up in Loughton.

He joined the Tottenham Hotspur 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 and Luton Town.

These proved unsuccessful and he started playing Sunday league football.

He then had a short spell with Maldon Town.