But on Sunday the 36-year-old will start up front for the first side in its Chatham Cup semifinal match against Lower Hutt City at the Caledonian.
Cook, also known as Pablo Alvarez - more on that later - had put his football ambitions on the backburner to spend more time with partner Nicki Bielski and sons Finn (8) and Lawrence (2).
He basically trained once a week and boosted his fitness regime splitting and chopping wood for Purakanui School, where he teaches four days a week, and taking his pupils out for a run to prepare them for the school cross-country.
The classroom was lovely and warm when the Otago Daily Times caught up with the experienced campaigner earlier this week.
Surrounded by his pupils and their colourful representations of the solar system, Cook said he could not say no to his old mate and Caversham coach Richard Murray when asked if he could fill in for a few weeks.
The pair have a dirty little secret, of course. During their university days they played together at Roslyn-Wakari.
"I don't tell too many people that," Cook joked.
Oh, and Liverpool fans look away now, Cook has been an Everton supporter since he was persuaded by a great-uncle to follow the other Merseyside team, shortly after he started playing the sport as an 8-year-old.
After 27 years of lacing up the boots every Saturday during winter, he still has tremendous passion for the sport.
"I'd play every day if I could, I like it that much."
Cook, who hails from Gisborne, joined Caversham in 2004 and played six seasons before taking a spell in 2010.
"I was never retiring but I stepped back a bit. It had been six really intense seasons with Caversham. We had won the league each year and had lots of other great successes in the Chatham Cup without quite winning it.
"So I had put my heart and soul into it and it was just time to have a break. I had a full year off and missed it enormously."
He returned to play for the club's second XI last season, and he was happy to remain there.
But a raft of injuries this season had thinned the senior side's ranks and Murray called in a favour ahead of Caversham's crucial league game against Dunedin Technical.
"He didn't have to beg or plead. He just asked a favour and, of course, I said, 'I'll do my best to help out'."
Caversham scored three goals in seven minutes to win the game 3-1.
Having been rushed into the side, Cook played in the number which had been assigned to Pablo Alvarez in the programme and a photograph of him in action was published in the Otago Daily Times under the wrong name.
The good news is no-one calls Cook granddad any more.
Instead, he is stuck with the nickname Pablo. And "Pablo" has been a permanent fixture of the Caversham side since his rogue appearance in the newspaper.
He nabbed two goals in the 4-2 win against Cashmere Technical in the fourth round of the Chatham Cup and was solid in the midfield in the 3-1 win against Manukau City in the quarterfinal.
But with striker Ant Hancock needing a miracle to recover from a muscle strain and classy sniper Tom Jackson returning to university in the United States, Cook will have to play up front alongside Evan Jones.
The pair had a trial run there in the 5-1 league win against Mosgiel in the weekend and Cook hopes they will be able to make the most of scoring opportunities and end Caversham's semifinal hoodoo.
The club has reached the semifinal stage of the cup five times in the past seven years.
"There is plenty of motivation and, hopefully, the experience of playing in these big games really counts this weekend. We're getting desperate, there is no doubt."
Cook will have additional support on the sidelines, as some of the school's 17 pupils plan to watch the big match.
His class came to watch the quarterfinal against Manukau City and the sickening accident, which left City goal keeper Sergio Bustos with a broken leg, was quite distressing for the 5 to 8-year-olds.
In a nice touch, the school made get-well cards for Bustos and used a limited knowledge of Spanish to write simple messages of support for the injured player.
