Our first sighting of the prematurely bald midfielder came in a pre-season friendly against neighbours Oldham Athletic, when he came on as a sub for the Latics to roars of approval from the visiting supporters. And after that, fans were pleased when Steve Parkin signed him on a two year deal in September 2004 after he fell out of favour at Boundary Park.

There's no doubting that we saw the best of Cooksey during that first season at the club. During that time, he formed one of the leading central midfield partnerships in the division alongside Gary Jones. They clicked pretty much straight away and Cooksey established himself as a Cult Hero at Spotland.

He was a dogged little midfielder, who was surprisingly useful in the air, and there was always the chance of it spilling over when he was on the pitch. His battle with Jamie Tolley was typical of the personal battles which accompanied his performances.

His second season lacked the excitement of his first season. Wasn't all his fault, as he often found himself stuck out on the left wing which was far from being his best position, but it was clear his form was suffering.

It was touch and go whether he got his contract renewed, and his was probably his first season form which saw him get the nod ahead of Scott Warner for the new deal. However, there was little during 2006-7 to suggest that Dale boss Steve Parkin made the right decision in keeping Cooksey on, and he was nothing more than a squad player for the first half of the season.

When Parkin left the club, he featured for just nine further minutes for the club, and he departed in the January transfer window joining relegation threatened Boston United. He was unable to help the Lincolnshire side avoid the drop.

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