He is likely to have already experienced his most dramatic 90 minutes, however, after helping Queen of the South book their place in the final with a remarkable victory over Dundee United on Tuesday night. The fact Queens fought back from 4-2 to down to claim a 5-4 extra-time victory was incredible enough but, throw in two red cards for the home side, a fire alarm, a 45-minute wait outside the stadium and a street brawl, and their night becomes one never to be forgotten.
"At half-time, the ground was evacuated for 45 minutes and I think that helped us," Hooper said. "It helped us regain our mentality. We were thinking 'we are losing 2-1 so we better get back up' but the time helped us regroup. We were 4-2 down and they had a goal disallowed. The sending-off helped, as well, and they had another sent off in extra-time.
"We are first division and they are premier league, so they might have taken us lightly. We were happy being underdogs, they had more to lose."
The opportunity to play at the National Stadium will only serve to further motivate both sets of players as they prepare for their moment on the big stage. It is an arena that Jackson Irvine could take to on a regular basis with Celtic if he can complete the journey into the Parkhead first team but he is set to spurn the chance to turn out at Hampden in the blue of Scotland. The Australian-born midfielder has already represented Scotland at youth level but will pledge allegiance to the country of his birth.
"I've decided to switch back to Australia," he said. "I played for Scotland at the Under-19 Championships in Slovenia and that was an amazing experience, it is not a decision I regret at all. I was born in Australia, I've lived there almost my whole life. You hear talk about English boys coming and playing for Scotland. Deep down, I knew. I went to the World Cup in 2006 to see Australia play and I have known from that point that is where I wanted to be.
"It was a big decision for me at the start and I did choose Scotland over Australia at that point. It is a heartbreaking decision to be in that position. I have always felt a strong connection to the Scottish side of my family because I am really close to my dad. To wear the Scotland jersey was a big deal for my family. It wasn't a case of it not feeling right. Deep down, it was me knowing where I truly belong."
