Heading south: Gary Hooper wants to join Tottenham in the summer (Picture: Action)

EXCLUSIVE: Celtic striker Gary Hooper has made a move to Tottenham in the summer his top priority.

The 25-year-old, who was subject of five failed bids from Norwich during the January transfer window, will force a move out of Parkhead at the end of the season, and a return to his first club Tottenham is his favoured destination.

Hooper is understood to have made it clear to manager Neil Lennon that he won’t be signing a new contract at Celtic, and was reportedly promised a summer switch if he didn’t push through a transfer last month.

The ex-Scunthorpe striker duly obliged, and despite Liverpool, Newcastle and a string of Russian clubs all showing an interest Hooper has told his agent to try to negotiate a switch to Tottenham.


Gary Hooper has been Celtic’s talisman this season (Picture: PA)

Hooper, who has scored 23 goals in 35 matches this season, began his career in the youth team at White HartLane, but was never deemed good enough and had to forge a living with non-league and lower league sides Grays Athletic, Southend and Scunthorpe.



It’s thought that Celtic will command a fee of around £10million to let Hooper leave – a price Spurs balked at when they enquired about the player on transfer deadline day.

As part of the deal, former club Scunthorpe stand to pocket around £2.5million as part of a healthy sell-on clause fitted when they sold Hooper in 2010.