MIKE Cooper does not make the headlines with Warrington Wolves every week.

What he does on the field often goes under the radar.

He would tell you being in the limelight is not something he craves, though, and will find it uncomfortable being the centre of attention in his Testimonial game against Salford Red Devils.

Coops, made in Warrington and hard as nails, nevertheless plays an important role in making The Wire tick.

READ: What Mike Cooper's teammates are saying about him

Alongside the likes of Chris Hill, Joe Philbin and Jason Clark, he lays a foundation for the team to thrive and he does it well.

Unlike some front rowers, he is not just a battering ram down the middle.

He is highly skilled, and it is no wonder St Helens and Wigan were among the clubs showing interest in him in the past.

His clever footwork as he approaches the defence makes him tricky to put down.

That sets him up nicely for producing an offload, to pile further pressure on a defence.

And that is if he has not delivered a pinpoint pass before reaching the would-be tacklers, changing the point of attack in an instant.

READ: Team news for Mike Cooper's Testimonial game

He is a machine in defence, and somehow he puts it all together on the field for longer than most props in the game can manage.

It is a job he’s been doing for almost 14 years and his service is being recognised with the Testimonial campaign this year, putting him under the spotlight – for a change.

He was a talent in his first spell with the club, making his first-team debut at 17 and was still only 20 years old when featuring in the Warrington Wolves’ historic Challenge Cup triumph of 2009.

Although missing out on selection for the 2010 and 2012 showdowns at Wembley, he did get the nod for the 2012 and 2013 Grand Finals while also being a member of that exciting 2011 squad that broke all kinds of scoring records and claimed the first League Leaders’ Shield of the summer era for The Wire.

His three seasons in the NRL with St George Illawarra Dragons were well spent, arriving as a relatively unknown English forward but returning a senior England international as a reward for the consistent high levels of performance shown in what is considered the toughest league in the world.

READ: What Mike Cooper's saying about his future

He came home in 2016 a more rounded player, a matured man, and has since been a first-choice starter every week he has been available in arguably the toughest position on the field.

Coops was reunited with his former St George boss in 2018 when Steve Price replaced Tony Smith at The Halliwell Jones Stadium helm.

He was a man inspired and was crowned the club’s player of the year in a season when The Wire narrowly fell at the final hurdle again with a Grand Final defeat at Old Trafford.

Last season, he added a Challenge Cup winners’ medal to the first one he had pocketed 10 years earlier and he is justifiably proud of all he has achieved so far.

But the 31-year-old is not done yet.

He believes in this Warrington Wolves squad and considers himself to have three more years left in the top flight, hopefully in primrose and blue.

His aim is to eventually bow out on his own terms, not forced to hang up his boots through injury, but before doing so he wants to put a Grand Final ring on his finger.

Dreams do not always come true. The big one remained elusive for the now retired Super Bennie Westwood, for example, after such an incredible career.

But rivals should be wary that when Cooper makes something his mission, he will run through brick walls to make it happen.