On 28 January 2008, Hooper signed a one-month loan deal with League Two club Hereford United. He made his debut two days after signing for them, starting in a 2–1 loss to Barnet. He scored in his next match for the club, a 1–0 win over Rotherham United. He played five more times, scoring four goals, before his loan deal was due to expire on 28 February. However, manager Graham Turner agreed a deal to keep him until the end of the season. Southend manager Steve Tilson agreed to this despite having two strikers out injured at the time. Hooper's 11 goals in 19 appearances for Hereford helped them finish third in League Two and secure promotion.