London may not be calling, but Gary is not hung up at Hoops

Despite the best efforts of Hoops manager Neil Lennon, England still do not share his belief that the striker should be spending this week preparing to help his country boost their World Cup 2014 qualifying bid in the games with San Marino and Poland.

Roy Hodgson is one of the few men who appears immune from the infectious enthusiasm to see Hooper elevated to the next level.

However, that failure to join Celtic team-mate Fraser Forster in making the breakthrough to the England squad is one of few disappointments in Hooper's life at the moment.

He may not be in London with Hodgson and Co. but he is in a very good place. His goal in Moscow last week underlined the confidence and form which is currently carrying him along.

No wonder Lennon was irked when, just a few weeks ago, a radio journalist offered the opinion that Hooper was struggling to replicate the level of performance which he enjoyed at the beginning of last season. That was as far off the mark as Hooper's shooting has been on target.

With eight goals already in just 14 appearances this term, another bumper return is anticipated from the man who celebrated a landmark in his Hoops career at the weekend.

His 100 games for the club has yielded an impressive 59 goals, the value of each and every one bringing a huge sense of pride to Lennon, who spotted the potential when he sneaked into Scunthorpe matches, hoping not to be spotted as it might alert other clubs to the fact there was a gem to be unearthed.

Such has been Hooper's success since his £2.4million move north that the cat is now very much out of the bag.

The rough edges are being knocked off, and the 24-year-old's value – both to the team and in the transfer market – is increasing in tandem with his goals tally.

Little wonder that, as he enjoys a well-earned rest, Hooper has been able to smile as he reflects on his rising fame and fortune.

When asked if he is in the best form of his career – seven goals in four games before last weekend – the Essex Bhoy replied: "I would say so.

"I scored four against Raith, a good goal at Motherwell, and I scored in the Champions League. So, everything is good at the moment."

While the goals are, naturally, what brings Hooper to prominence, his overall work rate is what makes him invaluable to Lennon.

The manager harnesses his willingness to work back the pitch, especially in big European games.

And, while many strikers who have such a knack for putting the ball in the net would wish to confine themselves to the penalty box, leaving others to do the hard graft behind, Hooper is more than happy to roll up his sleeves and put in a shift for the team.

It is this selfless attitude which is accelerating his education on the field and making him a more rounded player.

"I try to help others, and they try to help me," he said. "I come deeper now to get the ball and try to link up the play. But my job is to get into the box and score goals."

Which he is doing with aplomb, though, even with eight already in this campaign, Hooper still finds room for improvement.

His predatory instincts and desire to get on the end of chances means that the vast majority of his goals come from close-range shots – like his opener in the Luzhniki Stadium.

It restricts the spectacular, but Hooper understands the scoreline only moves by a single digit whether it is a 12-inch tap-in or a 25-yard rocket which crosses the line.

It is the volume of goals which make him a target for other clubs, and fires the valuation being placed on him into the £10m range.

Celtic have been pro-active in protecting their asset, establishing negotiations on a new, improved contract which they hope can be agreed soon.

Hooper knows the value of his hire, but also recognises the development which he has enjoyed since moving up to Parkhead and working under Lennon.

Inclusion in an England squad would confirm that he can achieve all of his goals while operating north of the border.

However, a call-up would also make him even more attractive to unwanted predators, ready to snap up an England international striker at what would, in relative terms, be a bargain price.

Fortunately for Celtic, to date, an offer they cannot refuse has not landed in the inbox of Parkhead chief executive Peter Lawwell.

Hooper remains content to focus on matters on the pitch, and, as his third season in the Hoops moves into overdrive, he is displaying the look of a man happy at his work.

"I'm really comfortable up here," he said. "I thought I had a good two years. We won the league and the cup.

"My confidence is high, and I think I am settled now and love playing football for Celtic.

"We showed we are a big club when we won in the Champions League at Spartak Moscow, and it showed that we have a big squad to do that. I enjoyed that a lot."

It's a quantum leap to play a huge part in recording a result like that when, previously, you have been working your socks off to establish a foothold in the game at lower-league level in England.

Hooper's bridged the gap with consummate ease, and shows no signs of resting on his laurels.

He wants to shoot higher, and he will get that opportunity when he heads to the Nou Camp for Celtic's next Champions League match, on October 23.

Strutting your stuff on the same pitch as Lionel Messi would have been beyond Hooper's wildest dreams until recently.

But now it is a reality thanks in no small part to his goals.

Before they board the plane to the Catalan capital, however, Celtic must remain grounded when they travel to Paisley for the SPL game following this international break.

With five wins on the trot, including that momentous win in Moscow, the consistency Lennon has been demanding is finally in place, and Hooper knows how important it is not to disrupt this momentum prior to their visit to the Nou Camp.

"I think we have the players to go on a run," he said.

"We picked it up after the game against St Johnstone, and that's our bad game out of the way.

"Now we have got to keep doing it, week in, week out."