Gary Hooper- Everyone wants to win the league for the manager

Gary Hooper is determined to win the SPL title for Neil Lennon.

The former Scunthorpe striker has struck up an instant relationship with his gaffer and knows that anything short of winning the title will be unacceptable.

On Sunday Celtic return to Tannadice for the first time since the dramatic day in October that shook refereeing and the SFA to the core.

The fall-out from the lies that day saw Dougie McDonald resign in shame with his master, Hugh Dallas, sacked for an unrelated offence shortly afterwards.

Forgotten amongst the headlines was the performance that Celtic turned in on the day as they dominated their hosts from start to finish.

That performance was a marker for Celtic’s recent form that has swept aside Aberdeen and Hearts and refused to accept defeat when down to ten men and trailing Rangers in a cup tie at Ibrox.

Hooper scored a precious double at Tannadice that day with both goals coming from within the six yard box confirming his poachers instinct in front of goal.

Over the season Hooper’s play has improved on a game by game basis with his recent goal at Pittodrie highlighting his development into an important team player.

With more than half of his team-mates away on international duty in midweek Hooper has been making the most of a full weeks training at Lennoxtown as he prepares for a five week spell that will define Celtic’s season.

The Co-Operative Cup and Scottish Cup are desirable bonuses but there’s no disguising the prize that Hooper wants above all others.

“Everyone wants to win the league for the manager,” the striker told Channel 67. “If we keep playing as we did last week with ten men we shouldn’t have too many problems.

“Everyone had to do their job at Ibrox, when you are down to ten men there’s no hiding place. Our team spirit came through on that occasion.

“The manager is like another man for us when he’s on the sidelines, he’s been there, done it and won the medals and that shows up in everything he does. We’re preparing for Sunday in the same way that we did for facing Rangers.

“We got a good result up there last time and we’ll settle for a 1-0 with a good performance this time, as long as we come back with 3 points it’ll be a good day.”

Neil Lennon will give Scott Brown a fitness test on Sunday after his captain missed Scotland’s midweek win over Northern Ireland.

Late decisions will also be made on the fitness of James Forrest and Thomas Rogne who have both been missing over the last few weeks.

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