Freddie Flintoff set to return to limelight after Top Gear crash as Hundred coach of Northern Superchargers

Freddie Flintoff is set to make his biggest step yet in returning to the sport that made him. The 45-year-old has been largely absent from the spotlight over the past year following his horror crash whilst filming Top Gear back in December 2022.

However Flintoff made his way back into the public eye as a coaching consultant for the England one-day side in their series against New Zealand in September. The 45-year-old former Lancashire star had been helping the England team in an unpaid mentorship capacity but now he is set to make his biggest return to cricket yet.

It's been announced the former all-rounder will be the new coach of the Leeds-based Northern Superchargers in next summer’s Hundred, the 100-ball tournament involving eight men's and eight women's teams across England and Wales.

Freddie will be taking over from current Norther Superchargers coach James Foster and Oldham's Kyle Hogg - who appeared with Freddie in the BBC cricket documentary Field of Dreams and is a former Lancashire team-mate - will be his assistant.

"My time with the England men's team has been a reminder of just how special cricket is to me," said Flintoff. "I'm relishing the opportunity to be back amongst it, helping to guide the Superchargers team to success on the field while making memories off it, and helping take cricket to more people."

The father-of-four sustained facial injuries and broken ribs when the car he was driving veered off the road at Dunsfold Park Aerodrome in Surrey during filming for the Top Gear. He officially stepped down from his presenting role in March and was not pictured in public again until September - nine months after the crash.