Would Gary be a Sooper signing?
We were first linked with Hooper when we were promoted to the Premier League but he then went to Celtic for £2.4 million and in just over a season his price tag has over doubled. I was disappointed when we didn’t get him then, because I thought he’d be a perfect foil for Andy Carroll at the time.
Gary Hooper is another player who learnt his trade at Scunthorpe after joining them as a youngster. Scunthorpe is somewhere that seems to nurture good young player’s season after season and sell them on to better clubs at a big profit; Billy Sharp and Jermaine Beckford were also from Scunthorpe but failed to make an impact in the big time.
Hooper’s record looks very good on paper with 43 league goals in 80 appearances at Scunthorpe he really shone. Some of them goals were in League 1, but his two seasons in the Championship for Scunthorpe saw him score 50 goals in all competitions.
I know it’s only the Championship, but it’s worth thinking about the fact that Scunthorpe were never big players in that division and he scored as many as, or more than our strikers that we won that league with and one of them was worth £35 million.
That earned Hooper his big move to Celtic where in his first season he scored 20 goals in 26 league games. I know the SPL is not great quality but still, that’s some goal scoring record. Hooper’s started this season with a ratio of a goal every other league game scoring 4 goals in 8.
I know some people will be sceptical from the start as he’s coming from the Scottish League but I really do think Hooper has talent. He’s not a Boumsong, he’s a hard worker and I think he’d fit in well in the Premier League. As he’s smaller he creates different opportunities and scores different types of goals to Ba and Best, which would give us an extra dimension to our play.
Also he’s only 23 years old and he has a lot of experience under his belt. That means he’s in the age group we’re looking to sign and at a price tag of around £5 million I feel that he’d be good value, compared to some other strikers on the market. Ahem Andy Carroll.
I’m not saying that Hooper is the answer to all of our problems, neither is he the best striker we could get, but I wouldn’t be unhappy with signing him. He’d be reasonably priced, he’s a good finisher and he’d offer us something different and he doesn’t seem like he’d upset the dressing room like Maiga could potentially do.
Whenever I’ve seen him play I’ve been impressed and I feel that he’d thrive on the opportunities that our now very creative team will give to him. One problem I do have with him is the stupid number he’s chosen at Celtic, I would not give him the “88” at Newcastle… but I wouldn’t give him the 9 either.
Here’s a little YouTube video for anybody who wants to check out the tekkers of another “potential” target.
Would you like to see Hooper in a Newcastle shirt?
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118 Comments
Always thought we should have signed him before he went to Celtic. Strong, has pace, can finish, young….. Sign him up I say.
I would take him and Izaguirre from the SPL.
Would have had Goodwillie too at the price Blackburn got him
I like him, celtic fans up here seem to think he’s the second coming ‘hooperman’. Does look decent though, your right we should have signed him up. All but about 4 of those goals were in the 6 yard box.
I would totally take him. I’m with others in being disappointed that we didn’t grab him after promotion
88, his shirt number I imagine is in tribute to Celtic being founded in 1888…..
I also imagine Celtic will be loath to sell him for the relative cheap price of 5million… considering how lowly Pardew rates the Scottish league, its surprising how many players from the SPL that Newcastle are linked with….
Moreno – What about Kayal? I like the look of him
And Ki, he’s looks a player too.
He is a similer type of player to best but is better than him and he will score a ton more goals for Celtic by the time the season is over (if he stays that long). Would be a good buy for 5 mil or less.
@ Moreno there is a ton of players from the SPL that could play in the PL and i think its a shame that English clubs no longer buy from there.
Jobey aye he is quality!
Good signing j would say but good enough for the premier? I suppose would fit our policy.
Celtic would defo sell I reckon for that money
He’s a good right footed finisher. Would be a good buy at 5M.
Listening to the legends and they’ve thrown the question out, what’s Keegans first name, apparently it’s Joseph.
Might of been just me but I didn’t know that!
Scottish football is not the best but it still doesn’t mean to say there aren’t good players in it, everytime anything to do with the scottish league comes up i always seem to hear people say it’s just all terrible
, 20 goals in 20 odd apps carn’t be bad for 5 mill sign him up 
Yeah id take him at 5 million , good player
Conor M – There is nothing to say that Pardew rates him. Nothing at all. Unless all press speculation has now become a fact from a managers mouth???
I would have taken him, but is he an improvement on what we’ve got? Before Best found his shooting boots I would have said yes, but not now. Someone earlier said that most of his goals come from in the six yard box. Isn’t that what Best does? Apparently Best doesn’t score the right kind of goals anyway according to some so what benefit would there be in signing him?
Yes I think he is a good player but id like us to aim a bit higher and find someone for the starting XI.
Despite that I still say sign him up
Don’t care what types of goals any of them score
aye but what a goal off this fellow which pardew is watching they say
http://www.ebaumsworld.com/video/watch/81901592/
@ Icedog
That goal is almost as good as this one
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KzAZTdyOXcA
N IRISH T
aye its good!n,but dont think pardew looking there mate
Its a shame really
Jobey @ 6
I’d take him for arguments sake, just looking at players who would improve first XI and who we could realistically get.
Kayal wouldn’t replace Cheick for me, be an outstanding backup but he wouldn’t settle for that.
Hooper would be a great backup to Leon Best, who is mint.
See you can get a sub and a drink for £3?
Liverpool are pissed off becasue they paid £35 million and didnt get a drink
Any team would be lucky to have hooper playing for them he’s a quality striker and works hard for his team, I would hate to see him leave Celtic, i don’t see Celtic selling him for anything near £5m so unless big money is offered he will hopefully remain in paradise!!
HAIL*HAIL
Didn’t another great SPL striker get sold in the summer for 2.8 million???
Toonsy,
See post 2
He hasnt had a good start though but im putting that down to the fact he is playing for Blackburn
N.Irish- Best didn’t have a great start at the toon
toonsy,
Any idea how we are doing in the fair play league?
Nicky Maynard will be available for next to nothing in January.Goals record about as good,same age as Hooper but in my opinion better all round player.
Aye Moreno even tiote hasn’t been that naughty this year!
Liam, that’s actually what makes me wonder!
Moreno – Joint top with Blackburn I’d say
He wears 88 as that was the year he was born in. Anyhow you lot are living in a dream land if you think Celtic would sell for £5m. Premier League sets the value of players these days and as such Hooper will cost considerably more than that.
Hooper is quality as you can see by the amount he has scored against Rangers.
Just for note as well I genuinely believe that Izzaquire, Brown, Ki, Kayal, Ledley and Hooper would be excellent for middle of the road teams in the PL.
http://www.premierleague.com/page/FairPlayTable Not sure whether we wanna be top or bottom?
Jobey – The “fairer” you are, the closer to the bottom of the table you should be. Bottom is essentially top
Catch yous later lads, off for a bit of side a five, this bit of belly i managed to work up is slowly coming off
“Hooper is quality as you can see by the amount he has scored against Rangers.”
4?
I could score 4 against Rangers in 7 games…..
Spence – It’s not your belly you need to worry about. It’s that tiny heed of yours you circus freak
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xENVqkQKg58/TmcTzLyRkPI/AAAAAAAAAvc/4nu0pWzFBjU/s1600/beetlejuice1.jpg
Spencer is on the right in that image
I actually don’t know how Obertan and Marveux are going to get in my team on football manager like. Guti and Lovenkrands on the wings has been unreal.
Lovenkrands has got 6 goals and 1 assist in 6 games (all from left wing)
Guti 5 goals and 5 assists in 7 games. In fact the whole team can’t stop scoring, Ba has 4 and Shola 3.
undefeated in pre-season, comfortably beating south americas best and the likes of Lazio. Although Ba has been sent off twice, 2 straight reds, just in pre-season!
Daniel Sturridge (on loan) just can’t stop scoring wonder goals and my only transfer has been Aaron Hughes at £2 million.
TOONSY @37stop putting yourselve doon
Moreno , new football manager? Any use? Anything majorly new about it? Birthday is start of November and Ill be getting it then ( as i do every year off the mrs
)
Johno,
Not a lot of difference, contract negotiations still frustrating.
Positives are the scouting is a lot more realistic and there are different options for team talks. The coaches get a bit more involved too which is pretty good.
Same old press conferences with same answers though….this is the demo though so things may change.
@ Moreno
What is the newcastle team like in the new one? Like compared to the other PL teams? and is there any great buys like Vaclev Kadlec?
Emmanuel Adebayor is doubtful with a hamstring problem, but Aaron Lennon should be available after recovering from a groin strain. Tom Huddlestone (ankle) is missing, while both William Gallas (calf) and Michael Dawson (Achilles) are rated very doubtful.
By Wednesday the news from N17 was that Rafael Van der Vaart was also hamstrung after international duty, while Verdan Corluka, Sandro and Niko Kranjcar were all claimed to doubtful travellers to Tyneside.
______________________________________________________________________________
My god it would be nice of they were all out
what! championship player moves to Celtic for 2.5m, the league that is mickey mouse and you want to pay 5m for him. Now just remind me who is mickey mouse?
N.Irish,
With is being the demo the database in pretty limited. There was a kid called Labyad from Morroco who seems to be the main wonderkid to begin with.
We are strong though, obviously not given the credit we deserve. It’s amazing how Santon can go from one of the hottest prospects in the world to average as soon as the ink drys on his toon contract
Whilst unknowns from Liverpool are classed as amazing…
Ba is our main man by miles though, haven’t seen Benny in action, still injured for ages and I am upto first game of the season
Toonsy how did this get by the censorship board
you should no anything Celtic is off limits….
I’d gladly have him but I imagine it’d be more like seven and not sure if he’s worth that. Could be wrong. Need to shift lover and/or ranger to make room anyway imo
Toonsy – They’d need you to play if they were all out
Looking forward to it Moreno , game is addictive!
Its always the same with the newcastle players they get all there stats taken when they join and i bet Jose Enrique is twice as good as he was in the last one.
I dont care that much about it though i always have a great time playing Newcastle and Napoli in those games.
And that wee Labyad guy was very good in the last one aswell. I cant wait for it to come out, i cant be arsed with the demo though
i remember many people saying henrik larsson only scored goals in the S.P.L. because it was a Micky Mouse league. it would seen this guy scores goals. i would have a go at getting him.
Watched a lot of hooper play as i support celtic as well. I wouldn’t be unhappy with this signing as he is reasonably quick, strong and a great finisher but i do have my own reservations about him. I don’t think he can play a lone striker role which he would have to play if HBA was to be in the ‘number 10′ role. Although he is strong his hold up play isn’t good enough to play up top by himself. His best performances have game when along side Stokes.
Although i doubt he’d be able to play up top by himself he is a smart player with his runs. And would be great for HBA as he would be looking for the kind of balls HBA can play. His first touch at times is very poor.
Little fact last year his shots on target % was 60% which was the best in the SPL. Doesn’t waste his chances and mostly makes the keeper work. Would be pleased but rather Pappis Demba Cisse
Listen to all you idiots!! 5 million are you lot having a laugh?? Add another 10 onto it, you think you can come up to Scotland and get players for nothing, get in the real world!!
Patience snapped
The funny thing is that most of these fake wannabe Paddy Jock tosspots don’t realise that
a) This is newspaper speculation
b) It’s from a fecking Scottish newspaper!
Yes yet amazingly it’s us thinking it
£5m and Shola the other way please!!!!!!
Line cast. Awaiting nibbles. And they will come. I’m like the Pied Piper of Celtic fans
@ Craig
You having a laugh we all know the only players in the SPL worth more than 10 million are Steven Davis, Nikica Jelavic and Big Kyle Lafferty
Toonsy we should buy some beer next time we go fishing
Got to admit, I find transfer rumours are boring as sin. The closer to window time, the worse it gets! That said, it gives us something to talk about when nothing else is going on…
So whilst the subject is here – I would say no thanks to the guy. £5m is a fair chunk to spend on somebody that has not been tested at the highest level despite the larger sums that get thrown about. With all due respect to Celtic (who are one of the only 2 sides in Scotland actually capable of not embarrasing themselves in the Premier League) the level of opposition Hooper finds himself banging in the goals against this season are not even League 1 standard… and that is trying to be kind.
Sorry Scotland, but Pardew was right.
Celtic already have the white shola in Samaras!!
Well Lads whats the craic
This was the type of player we should have went for.
Shamrock your right the transfer rumours do my fuking loaf in
Not abit of wonder Rod talks to himsel
Dave – You’ve just caught me on the way to kip
Latersszzzz
Toonsy be good mate
How dare you compare Samaras with Wor Shola!
I think you should leave…
I would take south American izzaguire before the lad hooper,but hooper seems to be a box type striker
Proven and English yes take a chance
Northern,
This Hooper talk does my napper in a bit like.
Just sick of transfer speculation full stop after the summer, want some time off from it.
Fact is, we got 35 million from selling our best striker and not a penny spent. It’s shocking that the board have manage to beat the fans into thinking Gary Hooper for 5 million will take us to the next level.
It’s just not acceptable in my opinion. We need a quality striker and we could do something this season. If the board can’t see the potential in that financially then they are not wanting success at this club.
Moreno – Straight to the point and talking complete sense. Like it!
Lukaku on loan in Jan
I bet we get lnked with him aswell
Moreno next thing you know you’ll be getting branded as a negative fuker
Dave,
Far too late for that mate….least I don’t get the same as Toonsy…
“I’ve always hated you Toonsy”
Funniest comment on this blog
http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/transfer-news/QPR-want-Celtic-striker-Gary-Hooper-plan-7million-January-swoop-article811621.html?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter
Rumours already! It is only bloody october
Moreno
some of the shite Toonsy got was funny as fuk 
Aye, I am still walking round the house laughing at it now and again
OI! Only just seen that toonsy
£5m? Is that for one leg?
Hooper to Newcastle?
If Hooper is going anywhere it certainly won’t be for £5million and it surely won’t be to some pish team that going to be fighting for survival come April / May.
Dream on lads, ever Forster had the gumption to get the hell out of St. James.
Enjoy the dogfight at the end of the season.
Hope ye go down.
Hahah. Are you a muckum I guess?
Ryan Taylor Over The Wall!
That is all you dirty twat.
Chucky R Law ? what type of name is that
I love how the celtic fans think there team is better than ours they arnt even the second best team in Scotland anymore Motherwell are far better
Yes thats right Chucky – our number 3 goalkeeper your new number 1. Quality squad you must have. Carry on making comments about a side more than holding their own in a league you only wish your team could be a part of buddy. Enjoy Hearts & St Johnston mate? Riveting stuff being a Celtic fan eh?!
chucky we are that shit of a team that our 3rd choice goalie is your No1, wake up you fuking tool, your a shite team in a shite league.
Oh, so A Celtic fan? Fuck off you twat, you would be in a dog fight in the second league of English football you silly mug, run along, daddys waiting for you to suck his cock in his skirt…Kilt* sorry my mistake.
Spencer – Is that what they mean when they say: ‘Here boy, toss my caber for me – there’s a good lad.’
Reet lads thats me outta here. Spence your in charge mate and dont let chuckie away with any shite hammer the idiot
Forster got kicked out of SJP cause he couldn’t catch a cold and can just about manage your shitty level, the fact we have the Dutch number 2 means you can have our cast offs. I deliberately wrote this article for nibbles of Celtic fans, and f*ck me, you don’t disappoint do you lads? eveery time,
Funny fkrs Scots like.
Breaking News- Celtic to replace outgoing striker supa dupa hoopa, with Wee Jimmy Crankie.
Bit of a shame Celtic and rangers not in English football yet. People say it’s the “English” league but swansea and Cardiff welsh so what’s the difference plus with the old firm having the money of the premier league and attracting better players it would make the league even better. Dont think anyone can argue celtics fans are amazing
Don’t think Celtic will sell hooper unless silly money offered as we don’t really have back up (samaras doesn’t count) or we buy another striker
Some fans are good, like you’ve come on here and acted sensible, unlike Chucky…
Tíocfaidh Ár Lá – I have nothing against celtic but foster went because he wouldn’t be first choice here. Best of luck to him and your guys but we didn’t make up the hooper rumour, just commenting on a report in the paper. Sad that u hope another club goes down based on nothing but a newspaper report but how never, enjoy your ignorance
Don’t know if you guys have seen yet, but Abeid scored TWO worldy’s for the reserves. Fantastic long rage strikes. He looks a player
Dave @79, not sure if you’re asking seriously or not given where you’re from but for anyone else that’s interested it’s english phonetics for the Irish of ‘our day will come’, referring to the hope of a united Ireland. Often misconstrued and used in sites of sectarian violence by the IRA, and whilst originally had nothing to do with inciting violence (referred as much to hunger strikes etc), people who use it often mean it like that.
Adds to that ignorance I was talking about, those sort of sentiments have no place in the game and clearly something they still struggle with in glasgow
The kid – saw that alright. Wonder what kind of player he’ll be in the end. Read that he was a defensive midfielder but he likes to be on the ball and has a lot more to him than that. Haven’t seen enough of him but maybe a deep lying passer in the mould of a Carrick? More of an engine than Carrick ever had though. Time will tell i guess
How the fuck are the Gooners sitting fourth in the fair play table? The FA will make sure they win it if they’re outside the Euro spots come may i guarantee.
FUK THAT!!
We do not want biggoted fans in our league
The sweatys hate each other for religious reasons… we hate the mackems because they’re cnuts
On topic though… On paper Hoops might look good on paper but i fear there’s a real danger of a jermaine beckford disaster
i like saying ‘on paper’
I thought Beckford was alright for Everton in fairness
Bigotry is disgusting but the league would be better and if you’ve not been to Celtic park your missing out
Toonsy….his fans are growing, you Beckford and his Mam all think he did ok now
Toonsy
Yeah he’s alright – But he was bigged up way beyond what he ended up like. Having potential is only good if you convert it.
I just lul’d @ richie
Toonsy your not the Pied Piper of Celtic fans your the numpty of Newcastle fans ya clown
I think I feel something pulling
Hello my friends.At least we saw a real poacher and i think this is exactly the type of player we need.and also at the right price…i believe its the same class as goodwillie and shane long players who everyone can see that they are good and gives something different than big names who can damage your wage and team spirit…also.finally i believe that with this kind of players we can built a very very good team.
CORFU TOON ARMY!!!HELLO FROM GREECE!!!
@chucky r law
Gary takes it up the Hooper and hes not worth the money Celtic paid for him.
He’s slow, terrible first touch and only scores goals when they are given to him on a plate.
The only striker worth going for in the SPL is Nickica Jelavic but there is no way to get him for less than 10million so thats a non starter.
I think we would be better off going for that Cisse or the de jong.
P.S chucky mind the gap
Funny how these Scottish fans value their players at £5 million + and that one about Jelavic being £10 million.
You lot are in financial peril. Scottish football is not sustainable. If a bid of a few million comes in, not only will you sell them but the player will force a over through.
Like most footballers, Jelavic and Hooper dream of playing in the Premier League and as soon as a prem league team comes in…they are away.
Moreno i think you will find Rangers knocked back a bid of 6million for Jelavic from Leicester City and a higher bid from Fenerbache I think. Now leicester are not in the premier league and Jelavic has said himself that he would not go there and his dream is to play in the Premier League but had Rangers valued him at 6million make no mistakes he would have been forced out the door, so your point about bids of “a few million” and they will be shown the door is ludicrous!
Allan Hutton, Craig Gordon and that shambles boumsong all went down to the premier league commanding fees of over 8 million.
There is no denying Rangers are in a mess financially and have been for some time but to suggest Jelavic is not a good player and would not be sold for 10million is silly. A player is worth whatever a team will pay for him, look at Andy Carrol for instance being bought for £35million. need i say more.
On another note im coming down to SJP for the swansea game and have not been down since the final day of the championship season against Ipswich was wondering where everyone would reccomend i get a seat? what is the sports bar section to me that suggests watching the game with a pint lol is that the case?
The only problem is that the Scottish league is absolutely awful so anyone can score a lot of goals, even Shola would get 35 goals a season up there!
Ba looks to be a good free transfer, but will likely be away for the Africa cup.
Best is playing well at the moment, but if we were being honest, he’s probably going to be the one to give way to Ben Arfa.
Thereafter, Hooper is better than Shola, Lovenkrands and Ranger…
However, that does not make him a good player, it just makes him better than the shite we already have, and really need to get rid of first.
At 5m, he may work out to be another none expensive risk, and that fee cld be brought down if Frazer Foster was part of the deal going the other way
Either way, its not a transfer to get the juices flowing really, and as you have already said, he won’t be wearing our no. 9
That is the transfer I want to concentrate on, then a central defender, then a full back so that we have the cover in areas needed now, then other strikers as I think HBA is to come in and I’d like to see Sammy have a really chance
Sharpy….That’s why I’d like Pieters, he can play equally well at RB and CB then we have Santon who can play both full back positions so the defence would be ok for cover(for now), out of the names linked up front I’d prefer Cisse from Freiburg.
I see the usual shit being spouted here when Scottish football and Celtic in general being mentioned.
Amazing…
Any sign of the cup with the Big Ears down SJP way?
Nah! Didnay think so.
Ritchie, I thought Pieters was LB/CB, either way your right, we should have got him in the summer but defo Jan, I’d go for Luuk de Jong over Cisse, he looks real quality and only just turned 21 and is a Dutch international already as well, we should be able to get those 2 for around 15m
“Toonsy your not the Pied Piper of Celtic fans your the numpty of Newcastle fans ya clown”….what a mupppet……..
I’m always dubious of buying players from the spl where if you play for celtic or Rangers it’s not hard to look good. We’ve been caught like this before.
Any sign of the cup with the big ears down at SJP?
Nah, didn’t think so…..
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