Mark Cooper may have been born in the heart of Yorkshire but he considers himself very much a West Country boy.

The Wakefield-born 48-year-old, who lives in Tetbury and has been manager of Forest Green Rovers for just under a year, first became aware of this beautiful part of the world back in 1978 when his dad Terry, the former Leeds United and England defender, signed for Bristol City.

Terry was to spend much of the next 17 years plying his trade in the West Country, initially as a player before becoming a manager.

It is a route that his son Mark has followed, making a name for himself in the lower divisions as a midfielder – including a season with Forest Green at the turn of the century – before taking the plunge into management.

Mark has nothing but admiration for his dad’s playing career. “He was different class,” he said. “He was the first attacking full-back in this country. He started off as a left winger but Don Revie pushed him back and the rest is history.”

Cooper senior was a major player in the legendary Leeds side in the late 1960s and early 1970s, winning the league, FA Cup, League Cup and Fairs Cup twice.

And the left-back would have won many more than his 20 England caps had it not been for a badly broken leg that took 20 months out of his career when he was in his prime.

The 72-year-old’s last job in football management ended in 1995 when he left Exeter City but all that knowledge and experience gained from a lifetime involved in football means he is still the man that Mark calls when he needs advice.

Even though Terry has spent the last 15 years living in Tenerife, Mark said: “I speak to him a lot about being a manager, he’s always the first person I turn to.

“He comes over three or four times a year and always gets involved.”

So much so that he can be seen on the sidelines at Forest Green training sessions and will go to matches when he can

So what does Terry think of Forest Green?

“He enjoys and likes the club,” said Mark. “He sees it as a good opportunity. I think he thinks we need a bit more steel – he is a Yorkshireman! – and a bit more substance over style.”

Cooper was unveiled as Forest Green’s new manager in the run-up to last season’s National League play-off final against Grimsby Town, a match Forest Green lost 3-1.

Caretaker-boss Scott Bartlett was in the dugout at Wembley and Cooper said: “I watched them train ahead of the game but we suffered injuries in the build-up and it just wasn’t our day.”

Cooper said he jumped at the chance to manage a club he played 48 games for in 2001/02.

“I could have stayed at Notts County and they were a League Two club,” he said. “But when I spoke to Dale Vince [Forest Green owner] I was impressed with how ambitious he was.

“In the past I hadn’t always had a lot of back-up as a manager and there was a lot of interference but this seemed like a good opportunity.

“I’ve got a competitive budget although it’s not the biggest in the league.”

Much has changed at Forest Green since the days when Cooper was banging in 18 goals for a club who had not long been promoted to the top tier of non-league football.

“The ground has moved up the hill 100 yards for a start,” said Cooper. “We also get much bigger crowds today. It’s a nice ground and they are much more professional.”

Cooper’s playing career took in 17 clubs – he played 457 games and scored 115 goals – including spells at Birmingham City and Exeter (twice) when his dad was manager of the clubs.

He says he was a “combative, creative midfielder” with an eye for goal. “I scored a lot of goals,” he said, “free-kicks, arriving in the box late, shots from distance.”

Cooper’s 19-year-old son Charlie is also a midfielder and is on loan at Forest Green from Birmingham City until the end of the season.

So how does Charlie compare as a player to his dad?

“He can’t score goals like me,” said Mark, “but he’s a better athlete and technically better. He just needs first-team games.”

Forest Green are the eighth club Cooper has managed since he took over as player-boss at Tamworth in 2004 and he says without hesitation that it is much easier to play than manage.

“As a player you just have to think about yourself,” he said, “but as a manger you’ve got to look after a squad of players and you can only keep 11 happy at one time.

“That means nine don’t like you very much and you have to manage that but you have to try to put a winning team out on the pitch.

“The highs as a manager are higher because you’ve prepared 11-15 guys whereas as a player you’ve just got yourself to worry about.

“But the lows as a manager are lower because it is all on your shoulders.”

Cooper has been involved in senior football for 30 years and says he has learned to cope with the lows as he has got older.

“I’ve had good times and bad,” he said, “probably more downs than ups. I’ve done okay but there can only ever be one winner.

“When I was younger I used to get very upset when I lost but I’m much calmer now. I’ve learned that you have to move on after a defeat.”

Fortunately for Forest Green fans, there have been a lot more wins than defeats under Cooper this season.