RECORD-BREAKING Alastair Cook will go down as one of English cricket’s greatest-ever batsmen, according to his Essex team-mate Graham Napier.

Cook became the youngest player in history and the first Englishman to reach 10,000 Test Match runs, after the former Maldon Cricket Club youngster reached the magnificent milestone in his side’s Second Test victory over Sri Lanka, at Chester-le-Street.

At 31 years and 157 days, Cook beat Sachin Tendulkar’s record to achieve the milestone and England’s all-time leading Test run-scorer still has an outside chance of overhauling the Indian maestro’s record of 15,921 Test runs.

Colchester-born Napier knows Cook very well, having played alongside him at Essex since the England captain rose through the club’s academy and made his First Class debut for the county, in 2003.

Napier believes Cook, who joins 11 other batsmen in the 10,000-run club, will go down in history as one of the game’s best-ever players.

“Every innings that Cookie plays now, he seems to break another record,” Napier said.

“Statistically, he’s now one of the greatest batsmen English cricket has ever had, if not the greatest.

“But the big thing is that you wouldn’t know if you spoke to him and he’s such a humble guy.

“Although he is undoubtedly driven to break records, the nice thing about Cookie is that he just wants to go out and bat and score runs.”

Cook spoke of his pride and relief at passing 10,000 Test runs, saying: “I don’t think it whistled, I think it trickled over! I was coming back for three, but it’s a very special moment for me.

“The game is not about personal milestones, if you’re honest it’s about winning games of cricket for England and trying to score runs to do that.

“But second to that there are little milestones along the way and certainly it’s been a little bit on my shoulder, I can’t lie to you.

“Everyone telling me how many I need for it, so it’s a really special day.

“It’s great that my family are here to see it. Unfortunately mum and dad went home last night but I’m sure they’re watching on TV.

“For me personally to do that, it’s a very special moment,” Cook added.

“You see today, you get your runs but it’s those seven o’clock nets with Goochy (Graham Gooch), all the hard work that goes into it away from this stage to get you there.”

Former Essex player Nasser Hussain, who captained England for 45 Test matches between 1999 and 2003, believes the current skipper’s resilience is his greatest strength.

“Cook will be a top Test batsman and breaking records for a long time yet, there’s no sign of him fading,” Hussain said.

“His greatest thing is his stubbornness and taking the hard path.

“I really don’t think there’s ever been an England player mentally stronger than Alastair Cook.

“He’s got an authority and aura about him now, his captaincy has gone from strength to strength and you can’t argue with it. Cook’s record for England is fantastic,” added Hussain.