Sheffield Wednesday: Move abroad OFF for former Owls forward

Former Sheffield Wednesday forward Gary Hooper is back on the lookout for a club after an eyebrow-raising move to Iranian side Esteghlal fell through.
Former Wednesday ace Gary Hooper (left, celebrating with George Boyd) has seen his latest move fall through.Former Wednesday ace Gary Hooper (left, celebrating with George Boyd) has seen his latest move fall through.
Former Wednesday ace Gary Hooper (left, celebrating with George Boyd) has seen his latest move fall through.

The 31-year-old, who scored 43 goals in 82 games for the Owls over four years, has been left considering his options after his Hillsborough contract ran out in May.

Things seemed to be moving forward for Hooper as he travelled to Istanbul for negotiations with the Tehran-based club over the weekend, but according to reports, an agreement was not reached.

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The rumoured move made headlines in Iran, with Hooper featuring on the front pages of national newspapers last week.

Hooper struggled with a groin problem for much of last season after having surgery and despite a backlog of forward options at the club, many supporters were disappointed to see him leave.

The former Celtic goal-getter has been linked with a return to Glasgow in recent weeks and is also understood to have been considered by Wednesday’s Championship rivals Fulham and Bristol City.

But speaking last week, Robins assistant manager Jamie McAllister gave little indication they were interested in Hooper amid reports they had offered a contract to former Manchester City marksman Wilfried Bony.

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Hooper was released from his Wednesday tenure alongside Marco Matias, who Esteghlal were also understood to have expressed an interest in signing before the Portuguese signed for Belenenses last week.