| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Thomas Edward Hopper[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (1993-12-14)14 December 1993 (age 31)[2] | ||
| Place of birth | Boston, England[3] | ||
| Height | 6 ft 1 in (1.86 m)[2] | ||
| Position | Striker | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Southend United | ||
| Number | 14 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2006–2010 | Boston United | ||
| 2010–2011 | Leicester City | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2011–2015 | Leicester City | 0 | (0) |
| 2012–2013 | →Bury (loan) | 22 | (3) |
| 2015 | →Scunthorpe United (loan) | 12 | (4) |
| 2015–2018 | Scunthorpe United | 103 | (20) |
| 2018–2020 | Southend United | 28 | (9) |
| 2020–2023 | Lincoln City | 83 | (14) |
| 2023–2025 | Colchester United | 68 | (5) |
| 2025– | Southend United | 34 | (2) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 11:32, 10 November 2025 (UTC) | |||
Thomas Edward Hopper (born 14 December 1993) is an English professionalfootballer who plays as astriker forNational League clubSouthend United.
Tom Hopper began his career withBoston United. Hopper became Boston's youngest ever player, when aged 15 he came on as a substitute for goalscorerSpencer Weir-Daley for the final 13 minutes of a 2–1 Challenge Cup victory overHucknall Town.[4] In the summer of 2010, Hopper signed forLeicester City and immediately began impressing in the club's youth teams.
Hopper signed his first professional contract withLeicester City in October 2011.[5] On 28 January 2012, Hopper was allocated the number 37 shirt and named on the substitutes bench for Leicester'sFA Cup match againstSwindon Town. He made his debut as an 81st-minute substitute forDavid Nugent. Leicester won the match 2–0.[6] Hopper said of his debut that "It all seems like a blur, but something I have really enjoyed".[7]
ManagerNigel Pearson was said to be impressed by the youngster.[8] In May 2012, he was named as Leicester City's Academy Player of the Season.[9] Hopper was given the 21 number for the 2012–13 season.[10] On 14 September, Hopper joinedBury on a one-month loan deal.[11] Hopper scored twice in his first six games during a month-long loan spell at Bury, including his first ever professional league goal againstStevenage[12] andCrawley Town.[13] On 16 October Hopper extended his loan at Bury until 3 January 2013, which was then extended for the remainder of the 2012–13 season on 4 January 2013.[14] Hopper's loan spell was cut short and he was sent back to Leicester on 7 February 2013.[15]
Hopper finished the season withLeicester City Development Squad & Academy, helping them to win the 2012–13 Professional Development League 2 and theHKFC International Soccer Sevens cup tournament.[16][17] Hopper was allocated the number 20 shirt at the beginning of the 2013–14 season[18] and was named as an unused substitute in Leicester's 2–1Football League Cup win overWycombe Wanderers on 6 August. He made his first appearance of the season in the next round of the League Cup, replacing Chris Wood in the 66th minute of a 5–2 win atCarlisle United.[19] On 30 May 2014, Hopper signed a new two-year deal.[20]
Hopper was an unused substitute in Leicester's first twoPremier League fixtures, againstEverton andChelsea in August 2014.
On 8 January 2015, Hopper joinedLeague One outfitScunthorpe United on a one-month loan.[21] Hopper made his debut on 10 January 2015, scoring in the 4–1 victory againstWalsall.[22] After scoring 4 goals in 4 games, Hopper's loan was extended until the end on the season on 2 February 2015.[23] Hopper was nominated for the Sky Bet League One Player of the Month award for January, missing out toDele Alli ofMK Dons.[24] After his Leicester contract was terminated, he joined Scunthorpe on a permanent basis on 26 June 2015.[25]
Hopper signed forSouthend United on 15 June 2018 on a three-year deal.[26] He scored on his debut in a 3–2 defeat toDoncaster Rovers.[27]
Hopper signed forLincoln City on 23 January 2020 for an undisclosed fee, on a contract running until 2023.[28] On 28 July 2022, Hopper was made the captain of the club following the departure ofLiam Bridcutt.[29]
On 26 January 2023, Hopper joinedColchester United for an undisclosed fee.
On 11 February 2023, Hopper scored his first Colchester goal, a close range header in a 1–0 victory away at Grimsby.[30]
On 28 January 2025, Colchester United announced that the club had cancelled Hopper's contract by mutual consent.[31]
On 28 January 2025, the same day as his departure from Colchester United, Hopper returned toNational League club Southend United on an eighteen-month deal.[32]
In May 2015, Hopper and teammatesJames Pearson andAdam Smith made asex tape with local women on Leicester's tour of Thailand, which was obtained by theSunday Mirror. The three players apologised for making the video, which included a racial epithet towards the women.[33] Following the outcome of disciplinary proceedings, the three players had their contracts terminated.
| Club | Season | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Leicester City | 2011–12[34] | Championship | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2012–13[35] | Championship | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2013–14[36] | Championship | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |
| 2014–15[37] | Premier League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Total | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | ||
| Bury (loan) | 2012–13[35] | League One | 22 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 24 | 3 |
| Scunthorpe United (loan) | 2014–15[37] | League One | 12 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 4 |
| Scunthorpe United | 2015–16[38] | League One | 34 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1[a] | 0 | 36 | 8 |
| 2016–17[39] | League One | 31 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4[b] | 0 | 37 | 6 | |
| 2017–18[40] | League One | 38 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4[c] | 2 | 46 | 9 | |
| Total | 137 | 27 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 9 | 2 | 155 | 30 | ||
| Southend United | 2018–19[41] | League One | 14 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 7 |
| 2019–20[42] | League One | 14 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1[b] | 1 | 16 | 3 | |
| Total | 28 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 30 | 10 | ||
| Lincoln City | 2019–20[42] | League One | 8 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 2 |
| 2020–21[43] | League One | 39 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 6[d] | 2 | 48 | 11 | |
| 2021–22[44] | League One | 20 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1[b] | 1 | 22 | 4 | |
| 2022–23[45] | League One | 16 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4[b] | 3 | 22 | 5 | |
| Total | 83 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 2 | 11 | 6 | 100 | 22 | ||
| Colchester United | 2022–23[45] | League Two | 17 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 1 |
| 2023–24[46] | League Two | 35 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4[b] | 0 | 41 | 4 | |
| 2024–25[47] | League Two | 16 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 4[b] | 1 | 23 | 2 | |
| Total | 68 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 8 | 1 | 81 | 7 | ||
| Southend United | 2024–25[48] | National League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Career Total | 316 | 55 | 8 | 1 | 16 | 3 | 29 | 10 | 369 | 69 | ||
