Forgotten ex-Premier League star, 35, completes shock transfer to non-league club after four years overseas

FORMER Norwich and Celtic forward Gary Hooper has signed for non-league side Barnet.

The English attacker, 35, left England in 2019 after a three-year spell with Sheffield Wednesday.

He went on to play for Wellington Phoenix in New Zealand, Kerala Blasters in India, Omonia Nicosia in Cyprus and Gulf United in the UAE.

But now he has returned to the UK with National League outfit Barnet.

A short statement from the club read: "Barnet FC is delighted to announce that former Celtic and Norwich City forward Gary Hooper is set to join The Bees.

"The deal is subject to international clearance and more details will be announced in the coming days."

Hooper began his professional career in the non-league with Grays after being let go by Tottenham as a seven-year-old.

He moved to Championship side Southend in 2006 and spent two seasons with the club, scoring just four goals in 44 games.

Loan spells with Leyton Orient and Hereford were followed by a permanent move to League One club Scunthorpe where he bagged 50 goals in 95 matches.

And he helped the third-tier side win the play-offs in 2009 as they earned promotion to the Championship.

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Those two years at Scunthorpe earned him a move to Celtic where he scored a sensational 82 times in 138 appearances between 2010 and 2013.

He then returned to England with Premier League side Norwich, scoring eight times in his first season as they were relegated.

Hooper helped the Canaries secure promotion back to the top tier, but then joined Sheffield Wednesday at the beginning of the 2015/16 campaign.

He scored 31 goals in 89 games for The Owls.