The Dark Horse XI of the upcoming EPL season - players who can turn the fortunes of their teams

11) Gary Hooper (Norwich City)

Norwich City’s Gary Hooper scored 82 goals in 138 appearances for the Celtic

The Celtic marksman switched to Norwich City on a three-year deal for an undisclosed fee.

Returning to his old stomping grounds would certainly be a boost for Hooper, who started out his youth career at the age of 9 with Tottenham Hotspur.

Since then, he has gone on to play at six different clubs in and around the British isles. Hooper’s abilities include his holding of the ball and his intelligent passing in the final third.

His finishing abilities and physical strength have undergone a thorough test with the Bhoys, while facing the physical nature of the Scottish league.

Capable of playing both as a support striker or as the one leading the pack, Hooper has demonstrated his skills with an astounding 82 goals in 138 appearances.

Norwich, with the sale of Grant Holt and the arrival of Ricky van Wolfswinkel have clearly stated their attacking intent. Ably supporting the attack is their midfield of Snodgrass and Pilkington. The English striker leaves us with one facile question though, will he follow the mighty footsteps of Kenny Dalglish and Henrik Larsson, or the bleak ones of Samaras and Craig Beattie?

A few players who missed out:

1) Sascha Riether at Fulham.2) Robbie Brady at Hull City.3) Glenn Murray at Crystal Palace.4) Romelu Lukaku at Chelsea.5) Andreas Weimann at Aston Villa.6) Nathan Redmond at Norwich City.

Here’s hoping that some of these players live up to their potential and enchant the footballing world. This coming season in the Barclays Premier League is one to really look forward to.

If you think that I have missed out on some players, or if I wasn’t clear with the term ‘Dark horses’, or even if you feel some player doesn’t deserve to be in this list, contact me and do let me know your views in the comments below.