Following his terrible vehicle accident on the set of the television show Top Gear, former England star Andrew Flintoff has disclosed the severity of his mental health issues. Flintoff acknowledged that he first found it difficult to rejoin to public life in one of his first interviews following the accident in 2022, in which he suffered significant face damage.
On his first morning as an assistant coach with the national team in 2023, the 47-year-old former England all-rounder claimed that his anxiousness caused him to take “ten goes to leave my bedroom.”
It took me ten tries to get out of my hotel room that day in Cardiff. In an interview with former England captain Mike Atherton, he told The Times, “I couldn’t leave the room.”
“I was really frightened and nervous. Eventually, I walked down to breakfast, sat down, and talked to Jos Buttler and Reece Topley. I heard footsteps while I waited for the lift to return to my room to retrieve my baseball mitt. I was certain it would be Ben Stokes, the captain of England.
“Back then, I didn’t truly know him. Even though we have a wonderful connection now, I was nervous about that while we were in the elevator together. One of the greatest individuals you’ll ever meet, Joe Root, entered the changing room, and I was made to feel quite welcome.
“I gradually began to regain my footing. and being photographed while lounging on the balcony. Even the media had good things to say about me. The power of an accident is astounding.
During filming, Andrew Flintoff was operating a Morgan Super 3 three-wheeled sports car when it flipped over and fell off the Top Gear test track. The cricket player was not wearing a helmet when the car tipped over, and the open-topped vehicle can reach speeds of up to 130 mph.
In the collision, Andrew Flintoff shattered his ribs and had serious facial injuries.
“Even though it will always exist, I’ve come to terms with it in a peculiar way. Regarding the psychological and physical wounds from the accident, he declared, “I’m not fighting it.”
“I still get flashbacks at night and anxiety and other stuff, but I know it’s happening and I’m accepting of it.”
Between 1998 and 2009, Flintoff played in 79 Test matches before retiring as a player in 2010 at the age of 31.
He was first asked to assist with the England Under-19s following the crash, but in September 2024 he was named head coach of the England Lions.
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