"THE greatest all-round sportsman Yorkshire has ever produced."

Among those paying tribute to former Yorkshire and England captain Brian Close, who has died at the age of 84 after a period of ill-health, was commentator John Helm, a friend and neighbour in Baildon.

"He was such a courageous man; I don't think he ever sensed fear, never mind felt it," said Mr Helm, who was 11 when he first saw Mr Close play first class cricket.

"I remember when he walked down the steps at Park Avenue - he had that cocky air about him. And he showed that character again as he was fighting lung cancer. He defied the doctors, it was typical Closey."

Mr Helm said that his friend's "bloody-mindedness" and courage on the field "boarded on being crazy".

"I am sure he would have taken on Mohammed Ali."

Brian Close was Yorkshire's ultimate sporting hero, according to Mr Helm.

His cricketing skills were legendary, but he also played golf - right-handed and left, both from a single-figure handicap - and was a skilled footballer in his day.

"For me, he was the greatest all-round sportsman Yorkshire has ever produced. He captained Yorkshire and England and played football for Bradford City, Leeds United and Arsenal. He only packed in football because of a knee injury.

"He was proud of being a Yorkshireman and playing for England. When he was captain they never lost a match. As cricketing captain he had no equal."

Childhood friend Bryan Stott, who met Mr Close at Rawdon Cricket Club in 1943, described him as a "very loyal friend" who had a "heart of gold."

"He was as soft as they come, but also very courageous. He was a big softy as far as dealing with people - he didn't have a bad thought in his head. He was a very nice lad all the time."

Mr Stott, who played for Yorkshire in the 1950s and 1960s, described his friend as a "great thinker" on the cricket field who was a natural at whatever sport he took up.

"He was a super lad to play with, but not always appreciated by some of the powers that be. There was one man in charge at Yorkshire who never really understood Brian and, as a consequence, made some big mistakes."

Former umpire Dickie Bird described Brian Close as an "all-time great" .

Mr Close first represented his country as an 18-year-old against New Zealand in 1949 and went on to skipper England seven times in his 22-Test career.

In his 37 years in the game, he scored nearly 35,000 runs and guided recently-crowned County Champions Yorkshire to four domestic titles before overseeing an upturn in Somerset's fortunes and helping to mould the early careers of Viv Richards and Ian Botham at Taunton.

Mr Bird said: "Brian Close was an all-time great, both of Yorkshire and England.

"He will go down as one of the bravest cricketers of all time. He would stand at short-leg, about a yard away from the bat, and would never flinch if the ball hit him. He would take it in his stride and carry on.

"As a captain, his record speaks for itself. He is Yorkshire's most successful post-war captain - winning the County Championship on four occasions - and will always be regarded as one of the best skippers in the game.

"He led from the front and never took a back step. He commanded huge respect from his fellow players. He had the ability to get the best out of every player under his stewardship with his fearless and brave approach to the game."

Michael Vaughan, who also played for Yorkshire and led England, revealed how Mr Close's guidance assisted him when he broke through.

Writing on Twitter, Mr Vaughan said: "Such a sad day.. He was a true inspiration to all of us .. Thanks Brian for helping me as a kid growing up at Yorkshire... #RIPClosey".

Former England and Yorkshire seamer Matthew Hoggard, who also lives in Baildon, also used the social media website to tell a tale of Mr Close's dedication to the sport even in his advancing years.

"R.I.P to a Yorkshire great Brian Close. His toughness was legendary his talents immense!," Hoggard wrote.

"Will always remember bowling to Closey in the indoor nets as he did his pre season preparation to captain the YCC Academy at 65yr old!"