The seed he wishes to sow is that the striker's ambitions, in terms of development, European experience and international recognition, can all be realised without the necessity to up sticks and head back to England.

Persuading the 24-year-old to sign a new contract to extend his current deal beyond 2014 would not only give the manager peace of mind, but would put down a marker that the Parkhead club are not going to be panicked into offloading their best players just because they are entering a post-Rangers era.

However, while retaining Hooper ticks all the boxes for the club on the playing front, in these turbulent financial times, there is no denying Celtic are more vulnerable than at any time since the turn of the century to a seriously impressive offer.

They have previously rebuffed repeated interest from Southampton, who were reported to be dangling a cheque for £6million for the man who has scored 51 goals in two seasons.

But former Celtic striker and export to England's top division, Frank McAvennie, fears the implosion of Rangers could adversely effect the value of players at Parkhead, and that this may in turn make it harder for the Hoops to reject offers.

The outspoken Scotland international is not convinced pressure to cash in on assets like Hooper can be resisted when the financial implications of no Old Firm bites.

He said: "Scoring goals is all about confidence, and Hooper's will be high after the season he has just had. This has brought interest from other clubs, but I believe he would be better continuing to play at Celtic.

"Another season at Parkhead would help him develop even further. However, in saying that, a lot depends on what is going to happen with the SPL, and it's going to be hard without Rangers in the title race.

"These are the big games every player looks forward to playing in. It's where you are judged, where you can make your name, and Hooper has done well in the Old Firm games over the two years he has been at Celtic.

"Now, with them gone, he can only hope they get a good European run, preferably in the Champions League, so that he can show what he can do at a high level."

McAvennie added: "I think Hooper would definitely score goals in the Championship. And, while I can't see any of the top clubs going for him, West Ham and clubs like that would be interested.

"Look at Steven Fletcher. He has done well for Wolves, is now being rated at £10m, and Hooper is a more prolific scorer than him. I could certainly see Hooper doing well for a mid-table team in the Premiership."

The Essex Bhoy has reiterated his contentment to be a cornerstone of what Lennon is building at Parkhead.

However, he is equally open about his desire to make the breakthrough at international level.

And McAvennie is concerned that, with coverage of the Scottish game diminishing with the loss of Old Firm games, people may be whispering in Hooper's ear that his performances and goals risk being dismissed if he remains north of the border.

Macca famously hit the headlines in the national press and TV news bulletins after an Old Firm game in 1987 when, along with Terry Butcher, Chris Woods and Graham Roberts, he ended up in court after a melee at Ibrox.

However, while those were exceptional circumstances, he believes these high-profile city derbies have always been classed as the litmus test for players, and without them it will be harder than ever to convince potential buyers that Celtic stars should carry a premium price.

He accepts Lennon does not want to offload his best players. But even the manager has admitted he may have to sacrifice one to balance the books.

Macca knows Hooper is well down the list of men Lennon would be prepared to sell, but is equally aware timing is the key element in any sale.

The man who was sold to West Ham for £1.5m said: "These are the kind of guys you want to hold onto at your club. But how will their value be maintained if you no longer have the Old Firm games to judge them in?

"I enjoyed playing against the likes of Motherwell and Aberdeen, but they had good teams at the time. Now, it's not the same, and the Scottish game still has a way to fall. That includes in their European ranking, which will make qualifying for the group stage of competitions even harder in future."

McAvennie has closely followed the events surrounding Rangers as they have unfolded in the past few months, and despairs at the situation which has developed.

The chances are that, by the end of this week, Ally McCoist's dwindling band of players will be consigned to the First Division or the Third – and Macca believes Scottish football will have done itself severe harm as a consequence.

He said: "I agree that Rangers deserve to be punished. But what have these clubs who are voting them out of the SPL done? It's not the fault of the people who are at the club now. And why should the fans of Rangers, and other clubs, including Celtic, suffer for what has been done in the past by people no longer involved?

"I just don't see where it makes sense to kick them out of the SPL if Sky are saying the clubs will not be getting the £650,000 they are each due to receive in August.

"Sky are not bluffing. In England, it's only the Old Firm games that people buy into and what they are interested in."

McAvennie warns the ripple effect of relegating Rangers will soon turn into a tidal wave which will swamp the game in Scotland and leave clubs drowning in a sea of debt.

"There will be other clubs who go to the wall," he predicted. "It's going to end up like the League of Ireland. How do you attract players to Scotland, and how do you keep those already there?

"If the SPL title is won by November or December, Hooper could be looking for a move in January."