Gary Hooper is glad to see the back of Kenny Miller

CELTIC striker Gary Hooper is unabashed about admitting that he wasn't just happy to see Kenny Miller exit Rangers because of potential knock-on effect his loss could have on the destination of the title. The fact that the now Bursaspor striker Miller is the top scorer with 21 goals in the Scottish Premier League this season makes him a marked man for Hooper.

"I want to finish top scorer in Scotland," says the man signed in a 2.4m deal from Scunthorpe in the summer. "That's my aim and, with Kenny Miller away, it's opened up."

Hooper has 10 league goals for Celtic after netting 43 in only 80 matches in the Championship across the past two seasons. The 23-year-old's Scottish tally is four behind Conor Sammon, linked with a move to Derby County before the transfer window closes on Monday at midnight, and his own strike partner Anthony Stokes.

The Irishman has overtaken his English colleague with a scoring run in recent weeks that Hooper has been instrumental in. He set him up for the winner against Aberdeen last Saturday with an exquisite through ball before leaving him with a tap-in after he was felled on rounding the keeper during the midweek rout of Hearts.

"I'm not going to let Stokesy beat me, though of course winning is the main thing. Our partnership is going well. He nicked the ball off me the other night to score a goal... mind you I was lying on the ground at the time. He told me before the Aberdeen game he had all the assists and I'd never set him up, so he was pleased I did that.

"We're both scoring a few goals and linking well. We're maybe similar type players in that it's not a partnership that's a tall man and small man. You don't need a tall man if you play football and keep the ball on the floor.

We might not win many high balls but we will compete and chase."

Each other as much as the opposition, by the sound of it.