​STRIKER Gary Hooper can’t wait to pull on the famous green and white shirt of Celtic.

And he is confident he can score goals for the former Scottish Premier League champions as they look to wrestle back the title that has been held by arch-rivals Rangers for the past couple of seasons.

Hooper revealed the Bhoys had always been his preferred destination when he arrived at Celtic Park yesterday to put the finishing touches to his £2.4million move from Scunthorpe United.

“I am very happy to be here,” Hooper declared.

“I am ready to sign and very excited about playing for Celtic.

“I am very confident that I can score goals for this club, I just cannot wait to start playing.

“As soon as I knew they were interested in me, Celtic was the club I wanted to join.

“They have always been my first choice.”

Hooper has undergone his medical and is finally expected to put pen to paper on a lengthy contract today.

Media sources in Glasgow believe he could even join his new team-mates on the plane for Portugal as they fly out for tomorrow night’s UEFA Champions League qualifier against SC Braga.

Some sources suggest Hooper might even be set for a sensational place on the substitutes’ bench.

Despite the fact he has had no pre-season action at Scunthorpe, Celtic boss Neil Lennon might just be tempted to have him in reserve if his side need to look for a goal in the first part of a two-legged qualifier they must win.

The Scottish club have left one space in the squad they have named for the UEFA tie and are, under the rules of the competition, allowed to add one more player to that list up to 24 hours before kick-off.

Lennon is clearly delighted to have landed the United ace – revealing that English Premier League duo West Ham and Blackpool were also in contention to sign him, as well as Championship rivals Middlesbrough.

“I like Hooper. He’s a good goal-scorer, and a good all-round player,” said the Celtic boss.

“We’ve had an eye on him for a while. He’s young, but I think he is ready.

“I just like the way he plays the game. He is a hungry boy, and the hungrier we have, the better.”

Lennon has put a lot of personal effort into tracking Hooper, with Middlesbrough always the main competitors for his signature.

“It was interesting because, when you get men of the calibre of Gordon Strachan after him, and there were a few other clubs showing interest including West Ham and Blackpool, who can offer Premiership football, to get him in the end is very, very satisfying,” said Lennon.

“That’s because we have done a lot of work on this one.”