Mike Hooper (footballer)

Michael Dudley "Mike" Hooper ( born February 10, 1964 in Bristol) is a former English football goalkeeper. The redhead was the end of the busy 1980s and at the beginning of the 1990s at Liverpool and Newcastle United, but there never come across the role of the substitute 's permanent addition.

Sports career

First professional stations (1983-1985)

Hooper came first experience in the non -League football for Mangotsfield United - the club for which he played during his student days at the University of Bristol - Bristol City to fourth division. There he had ever been as a 14- year-old student stood between the posts in the youth team, and after his first professional contract at the turn of 1983/84 and the rise in the third- highest division, he played on December 1, 1984 against Lincoln City its first and only league appearance for the " Robins ". Transfer fee free Hooper joined in February 1985 after the Welsh and active in the fourth English League AFC Wrexham. For the first time, where he showed his talent as agile and especially in flanks catch safer goalkeeper, putting in the same 38 official matches he kept until October 1985 the housing. He fell to the sporty line of the first division club FC Liverpool and so one was in the fall quickly agreed in relation to the obligation of a substitute goalkeeper Bruce Grobbelaar for.

Liverpool FC (1985-1993)

Compared to Grobeelaar Hooper represented the complete opposite. While the extrovert goalkeeper had a penchant for spectacular actions in the game, the young redhead remained mostly quiet and stable. Although he but often came in the reserve team for use, the fate of his predecessor, Bob Bolder, who had previously come in not a single League game for use remained largely spared. For the first time on a prominent stage, he presented it in the Charity Shield game in 1986 when he represented the injured Grobbelaar against Everton in the second half. Subsequently, he was careful in the first eight competitive games of the season 1986/87 the gate of the " Reds " before Grobbelaar won back his place. To a next series continued Hooper only in the season 1988/89 and again in this case manager Kenny Dalglish trusted him at first even after Grobbelaars health message on. Two errors in the match against Sheffield Wednesday and the tight title race with Arsenal in the season prompted Dalglish then, however, to restore the old edge trim.

Without being in the 1989/90 season for Liverpool been used, borrowed in the club from September 1990 to the second division Leicester City from. There he cashed either directly ten goals in the first two games, but more generally the holey defense network was awarded in Leicester as the hapless ' keeper ". And so his chances rose again as the new coach Graeme Souness it opened more opportunities, especially as this increasingly saw a security risk in the times unpredictable Grobeelaar and also in October 1991, shortly even suspended him. After only two games to Hooper injured for probably the worst time of his career, which in turn Grobbelaar was the possibility to return. Short term he moved after a hand injury of the root goalkeeper again in the starting lineup, but when Grobbelaar was nominated for the FA Cup final in 1992 as " Number 1", Hooper lost his patience and even beat his squad nomination from. As also a promising talent from Watford FC met with David James about the club, its prospects deteriorated further, although the newcomer initially had adjustment difficulties and the often Hooper was staying at the Zimbabwean national Grobbelaar represented. In September 1993 he finally moved for a transfer fee of 550,000 pounds for Erstligakonkurrenten Newcastle United.

Newcastle United (1993-1996)

Under coach Kevin Keegan to Hooper hoped against newly promoted Newcastle and a fresh start with a 3-0 home win against former club Liverpool in November 1993, he quickly came to a kind of personal satisfaction. The " Magpies " stormed surprising in the upper half of the table before the end of the season subsided form. Here, the increasingly insecure acting Hooper some criticism from own supporters felt exposed and he lost out in February 1994 again his place in the crowd Pavel Srníček. Back relegated to the substitutes' bench, Hooper had to struggle to speak with injuries, illness and weight problems. On his last mission for Newcastle he sat again a highlight, as he saved a penalty against Tottenham Hotspur Jürgen Klinsmann in the 3-3 after coming off the bench. In the autumn of 1995, a further goalkeeper came to Newcastle with Shaka Hislop, but were counted Hoopers days. He was on loan at Sunderland, where he graduated, however, not a single game, and shortly afterwards he resigned as an active professional athlete.

Title / Awards

• English Super Cup ( 1): 1986
• Charity Shield ( 1): 1986