Celtic keen on keeping match-winner Hooper

GLASGOW (AFP) –

Celtic‘s English forward Gary Hooper celebrates scoring a goal during their UEFA Champions League Group G football match at Celtic Park in Glasgow on December 6, 2012. Hooper scored a late winner after Fraser Forster saved a penalty as Celtic claimed a hard-fought 1-0 win over Motherwell to head into the Scottish Premier League‘s winter break with a nine point lead at the top of the table.

Celtic first team coach Garry Parker said Gary Hooper would be crazy to leave the Glasgow giants in the January transfer window after the striker scored the only goal of the game in their 1-0 win over Motherwell.

The Englishman netted 10 minutes from time in the hard-fought win to fire the Hoops nine points clear of Inverness Caledonian Thistle at the top of the Scottish Premier League.

Talks have been ongoing this season with the former Scunthorpe striker in a bid to get him to sign a new long-term deal at Parkhead after his performances in Celtic’s Champions League run attracted the attention of clubs across the continent.

Celtic have the mouth-watering prospect of two ties against Italian giants Juventus in the last 16 of the Champions League next month and when asked if it would be madness for Hooper to leave now Parker said: “Of course it would. Why would he want to leave when he’s got Champions League football?

“We want to keep him. We are still in Europe and have our game against Juventus coming up.

“I don’t think any player would like to go now anyway because it’s a big competition and it’s a big couple of months coming up for us.”

Fraser Forster added to his growing reputation when he made a superb save to turn Tom Hately’s 76th minute penalty round the post when the game was still goalless after Kelvin Wilson had tripped Jamie Murphy in the box.

And Parker was full of praise for the keeper, whose performances this season saw him called up to the England squad for their recent friendly against Sweden, and his countryman Hooper.

“It was a great save from Fraser. He makes good saves for us week in week out and that’s why he’s in the England squad,” Parker said.

“He’s very important. He’s a big goalie and when you see the size of him as they were preparing to take the penalty the goal becomes smaller.

“He’s made a great save and he deserves to be in the England squad.

“They are two good players. Fraser is a great goalie, he’s proved that, and Gary Hooper scores goals and his general play is good.

“We have a good squad here with some good players and they are two very special players who are important to us.”

Celtic shuffled the pack for the match against Motherwell after the loss to Hibernian on Saturday with captain Scott Brown missing out completely.

The Hoops skipper has struggled with a persistent hip injury this season and Parker says the two week winter break which begins now will benefit Brown and the rest of the squad, who he says are in need of a well-earned rest after a gruelling start to their campaign.

“We are in a position where we want to be at the top of the table with a nine point lead and a game in hand,” Parker, whose side are still fighting in four competitions, said.

“This win was a long time coming. We did dominate the game and it has happened before this season but we are just relieved to get the win.

“They have played about 35 competitive games already. They need a break to recharge their batteries and get away with their families for a week.

“Then we’ll get together at a training camp and have a game out there and come back ready to play Hearts.

“Scott Brown was feeling his injury again so that’s why it was nice for him to have a rest. He’s got two weeks now so he should come back and be okay along with the other injuries we have.”