Gary Hooper's goal scoring record doesn't lie, where ever he has been he has scored goals, be that at Grays Athletic, Scunthorpe or currently Scottish champions Celtic. Hooper's prolific career has seen him constantly linked with a move to the Premier League. Most recently Tottenham and Norwich City, where The Canaries have had a ?5,000,000 bid turned down for the services of the uncapped Englishman. Last summer reports suggested he was on the brink of a ?7,000,000 move to Southampton to reunite with his former Scunthorpe United manager Nigel Adkins. Hooper later had a change of heart and insisted he wanted to play Champions League football with The Bhoys.
Since joining Celtic in 2010, Hooper has scored 55 goals in 81 Scottish Premier League games, but the gulf between the Scottish and English premier league is bigger than ever and it's hard to predict how he'd perform at a higher level, hence why he hasn't had a national call up. But at the age of 24, Hooper has his whole career ahead of him and if he eventually does want to represent his country, he'll certainly have to leave Scotland.
This time last season, Everton bought in Rangers Croatian striker Nikica Jelavic for ?5,000,000 and he began his career with a bang. He became the fastest Everton player since 1912 to score 10 goals for the club. This is proof that the switch from Scotland to England can be done, but very rarely does it happen in such a way it did for Jelavic. If Hooper does move, I wouldn't expect quite the impact that Everton received, but I am quietly confident that someone with the finishing ability that Hooper most certainly possesses will be a hit in the Premier League. This may erect an International career for Hooper who could be the answer to England's lack of forward options.
Source: DSG
Source: DSG