Celtic striker Gary Hooper will remain at the club for the remainder of the season due to The Hoops' Champions League commitments, believes goalkeeper Fraser Forster.

After qualifying for the last 16 from a group including Barcelona, Spartak Moscow and Benfica, the SPL leaders will face Serie A champions Juventus after they reached the knock-out phase for the first time since the 2007/08 campaign.

Hooper, who has scored 20 goals this season, is out of contract in the summer of 2014 and has been linked with moves in the January transfer window to Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur.

But Forster, who himself played a decisive role in Celtic's passage to the last-16, insists the carrot of a European tie against the might of Juventus could be too good to turn down for Hooper.

Gary Hooper
Hooper has scored 20 goals this season.

"Hoops [Hooper] might have his personal reasons but club-wise he has a lot to look forward to for at least the next six months," Forster said.

"Not many people reach the last 16 of the Champions League and it might be the one and only time that someone gets to do that in his career.

"Hoops and I are in similar situations but he has been a fantastic servant for the club and I'm confident he will see out the rest of the season at least."

While Liverpool have been linked with bringing an additional striker to help take the weight off Luis Suarez, Tottenham are understood to be mulling over a move for another forward with Emmanuel Adebayor away on Africa Cup of Nations duty and liable to be absent for a further three weeks.

Liverpool have signed Daniel Sturridge from Chelsea to assist in bolstering their attack, while Andre Villas-Boas has insisted Tottenham won't move for an additional forward despite the strains being places on Jermain Defoe.

On Tuesday, manager Neil Lennon confirmed that an improved offer of less than £6m from Norwich City for Hooper had been rejected.

Having spent time on loan at Norwich, Forster would be the ideal candidate to advise Hooper over what to expect at Carrow Road, but the England international stopper says his fellow countryman hasn't asked about life with The Canaries.

"It's up to Hoops what happens and it depends what people want out of their career," he added.

"At this moment we are in the last 16 of the Champions League but I have been at Norwich as well and I loved my time there.

"It's his career and if he sees himself down south then it's up to him.

"But he hasn't asked me specifically about Norwich. He's just focused on doing the job for Celtic and he has proven that with the goals he scored over the previous week."