He is a genuine legend of English cricket: Gooch pays tribute to protege Cook

Graham Gooch, second on England's Test-match runscorer list behind Alastair Cook, has worked consistently with the former national captain with both county, Essex, and country over the past decade and a half

^{Alastair Cook has worked with Graham Gooch for much of his career}

Graham Gooch has said Alastair Cook is a "genuine legend of English cricket" in a glowing statement celebrating the opener's career at the top of the game.

Cook will retire from international cricket after England's fifth Test against India at the Kia Oval, at the end of a career spanning 12 years and 161 matches. 

Gooch, second on England's Test-match runscorer list behind Cook, has worked consistently with the former national captain with both county, Essex, and country over the past decade and a half.

And, in a statement issued by the Professional Cricketers' Association, he was emphatic in his praise of his protege. 

"Alastair has been the rock of England’s batting for the last 12 years since he made his debut and while we are all sad to see him retire, we must rejoice in what he has done for our country," Gooch said. "He is a genuine legend of English cricket.

^{Gooch has paid tribute to the retiring Cook}

"He is a legend not only because of his performances, but, because of his attitude, his sacrifices, the way he has carried himself and the example he has set. Alastair is a perfect role model and is the image of the game we want to project.

"He is a great ambassador for his sport, he is a great person as well as a great cricketer."

Cook made more than 15,000 runs for England across cricket's three formats, scoring 32 Test hundreds - nine more than anyone else. He captained the Test team on 59 occasions and won two Ashes as skipper as well as presiding over a memorable series victory in India.

Hussain: Cook is England's greatest ever

"His record is unsurpassed in terms of runs and the commitment he has showed for every team he has played for and has been a beacon for our sport as a person and as a cricketer," Gooch said.

"He has been his own man all the way through. He has his own views and he knows what he wants to achieve and what he wants to get and he has pursued that all the way through his career. It was evident from the very first time I met him when he came to Essex that he was a smart lad and he knew how he could play, he knew how he could manage his game, even at a young age.

"Throughout his career he has developed his game to improve and the results are there for all to see.

^{Cook will finish his career with 161 Test appearances}

"To achieve what he has in playing 160 Test Matches, scoring over 12,000 runs and 32 centuries is an incredibly special achievement from a special person."

Like Nasser Hussain, Gooch pointed to Cook's sheer bloody-mindedness as a major reason for his longevity.

"It all stems from being strong of mind, being committed to hard work on his game and focusing on what’s in front of him," he said.

"He has accepted every challenge and has achieved everything he wanted to achieve so we have to be sad that he will no longer be representing our country but we must rejoice in the fact he has been a rock for us for 12 years.

"To be a successful sportsman it is not just about the skills or talent, it is about hard work, commitment and desire. All of those parts complete the make-up of you as a person and helps you be successful and he has been determined, he has been stubborn sometimes but he is always somebody you can depend on and always the first name on the team sheet."