Freddie’ Flintoff has long been cemented as one of the most legendary names in English cricket. The all-rounder played 79 Test matches for his country and 148 white-ball internationals, with his career defined by his heroic exploits in the 2005 Ashes.

Flintoff was named man of the series as the hosts regained the urn for the first time in 18 years, and later that year shared the ICC player of the Year award as well as being given the freedom of his hometown, Preston.

His famous all-night drinking session to celebrate the success has also gone down in folklore, saying “behind these sunglasses lies a thousand stories” after stumbling onto the team bus the following morning.

The 47-year-old has had to overcome harrowing times of late though, despite starring in the Freddie Flintoff’s Field of Dreams BBC series which launched its first series in the summer of 2022. It involved the former Lancashire star putting together a new team of young cricketers, the majority of whom had no prior experience of the game.

But a second series was delayed after later that year, Flintoff suffered a high-speed car crash while filming for Top Gear at Dunsfold Park Aerodrome in Surrey. The accident left him with broken ribs and severe facial injuries, and he has since received a large settlement from Beeb bosses.

The icon is now back in cricket, however, coaching the England Lions side currently out in Australia. He continues to go by the name ‘Freddie’ but many fans do not realise that it’s not actually his real name.

His first name is Andrew, although it’s extremely rare for him to be addressed that way. The nickname ‘Freddie’ dates back to junior school when his friends started using it.

The name was inspired by the famous cartoon character Fred Flinstone. Simply because of the similarities between the two surnames, Flintoff’s fellow pupils never let go of the term, although the man himself has resisted referring to it in his social media handles.

But now, another family member is emerging as a potential cricket star. Having been installed as coach of the Lions, Flintoff’s son Rocky was selected in his squad for the tour down under and has hit the headlines with a majestic century against a Cricket Australia XI.

Rocky Flintoff, 16, came in at No.9 and made 108 from 127 balls in the Lions’ first-innings total of 319 all out. And he played shots reminiscent of his famous father, putting himself in the frame for the unofficial ‘Test’ against Australia A in Sydney next week.

He has already been given his first professional deal at Lancashire after making a century for the club’s second XI in April, since playing four first-class matches. Unlike his dad though, he goes by his actual birth name, as does his brother Corey who is currently playing for Lancashire under-18s.