Anthony McGrath will demand high standards at Yorkshire CCC but keep an eye on your socks - Chris Waters

Praising McGrath as “a great cricket man” who was “absolutely hilarious in the dressing room”, Root writes: “During his playing days, a phantom sock-snipper did the rounds, and so it raised a few eyebrows that the snipping recommenced not long after he rejoined the club as part of the coaching staff in 2015.”

Root was not alone in his suspicions. When McGrath finished playing in 2012, Michael Vaughan tweeted: “Congrats on a great career Anthony McGrath… You can now admit to everyone you were the Yorkshire Snipper”. No such confession has been forthcoming, though, with the authorities seemingly no closer to solving the mystery of Jack the Snipper as they were to that of Jack the Ripper.

All of which shines a light – deserved or otherwise – on the character of the man Yorkshire have appointed, one whose modus operandi has fun at its core.

Granted, as a head coach now as opposed to the mentor/consultant that he was at Yorkshire in 2014/15, McGrath might have to temper any practical jokes (a little bit, anyway).

But someone who was very much the life and soul of the Yorkshire dressing room in his playing days, and who was something of an avuncular figure towards the end of his career, is very much about making the game and the atmosphere enjoyable – qualities that served him so well at Essex.

McGrath’s track record at Chelmsford – whether as head coach or, initially, assistant coach – speaks for itself: two Championships, a Bob Willis Trophy, a T20 title and plenty more strong performances across the various competitions during his nine seasons.

This is a man who likes not only to grin, but more importantly to win.

Now it is Yorkshire who will hope to benefit from the trait, with the club awarding him a five-year deal. The board essentially thinks it will take that long to get Yorkshire back to where they want it to be as a dominant force, perceiving McGrath as a long-term rather than short-term fix.

However, McGrath was assistant coach when Essex followed Championship promotion with the title in 2017, and Ottis Gibson has left behind a talented squad, full of youthful zest, that could surprise a few people in 2025. Given a fair wind and one or two prudent additions, it is by no means inconceivable that Yorkshire could challenge; the head honcho, for certain, will be giving it his all.

McGrath has a track record of getting the most out of players. He helped Essex punch above their weight and was widely seen as a great man and man-manager who will be sorely missed down south.

Tom Westley, the Essex captain, has nothing but praise, while there are those who say that Sir Alastair Cook might even have prolonged his career due to the atmosphere and environment McGrath helped create.

McGrath’s effortless ability to relate to the likes of Cook on the one hand and the lowest junior on the other is perhaps another reason why he was so popular and successful; folk speak highly of his intuitive style and strong communication skills.

Now he is back where it all began in the mid-1990s, when he broke into the Yorkshire first-team and went on to enjoy an outstanding career.

It feels like the time is right – both for Yorkshire as they look to move forward and, no doubt, for the man himself, who admitted last season that you can sometimes stay somewhere for too long (hey, try 20 years on The Yorkshire Post).

McGrath had probably taken Essex as far as he could – or perhaps himself as far as he could there – and the time feels right for a new challenge. That he is Yorkshire through and through and still has family here ensures that his heart will be in it; he also has a lot of credit in the bank with the Yorkshire fans who regard him highly.

As a coach, McGrath demands high standards and is not afraid to take tough decisions; he always worked hard on his game at Yorkshire, and had his own way of playing, accumulating with a flourish, bowling bustling medium-pace and catching brilliantly in the slips. He is good at helping players with the mental side, and his sharp sense of humour will keep them entertained.

Whether it might be wise for those players to ask Santa for some extra pairs of socks this Christmas only they can say.

Have Yorkshire appointed not just a head coach but the infamous snipper?

Well, we do like two-for-one deals in these parts, tha knows.