Former England captain Andrew Flintoff stated that it would have been "much easier" for him if he had been "killed" in the near-fatal car accident nearly three years ago. Flintoff disclosed that he believed his "face had come off during the horrific car crash that left him with serious injuries and broken ribs while filming for the television programme Top Gear in 2022.

The 47-year-old has extensively discussed the shocking crash in a new Disney documentary 'Flintoff', which is set to premiere on Friday.

Flintoff, an important member of England's 2005 Ashes-winning team against Australia, confessed he feared the crash had caused irreparable damage.

"After the accident, I didn’t think I had it in me to get through. This sounds awful; part of me wishes I’d been killed. Part of me thinks, I wish I’d died," he expressed.

"I didn’t want to kill myself. I wouldn’t mistake the two things. I was not wishing; I was just thinking, ‘this would have been so much easier’. "

Flintoff was driving a Morgan Super 3 three-wheeled sports car when it flipped over.

The open-topped vehicle can reach 130 mph (209 km/h), and the cricketer was not wearing a helmet when it turned over.

Flintoff’s surgeon, Jahrad Haq, describes the former England captain’s injuries as among the five worst he has seen in two decades and compares the reconstruction process to a jigsaw with missing pieces.

"I remember my head got hit, I got dragged out. I went over the back of the car, and it pulled my face down on the runway, about 50 metres, underneath the car," Flintoff recounted.

"My biggest fear was, I didn’t think I had a face. I thought my face had come off. I was frightened to death. "

Flintoff struggled to come out of bedroom for days

Rated As one of England's greatest all-rounders, Flintoff found it difficult to leave his bedroom for days following the car accident, which resulted in both mental and physical injuries.

The 47-year-old former England all-rounder mentioned that it required him "10 attempts to exit my bedroom" because of anxiety on his initial morning as an assistant coach with the national team in 2023.

"On that day in Cardiff, it took me 10 attempts to exit my hotel room. I couldn't get out of the room," he shared with The Times during an interview with former England captain Mike Atherton.

"I was extremely anxious and worried. I ultimately went down to breakfast; sat down and conversed with Reece Topley and then Jos Buttler.

"I needed to return to my room to collect my baseball mitt and while I was waiting for the lift again, I heard footsteps. I recognized it would be (England captain) Ben Stokes.

"I didn't really know him back then. I've developed a wonderful relationship with him since, but I felt anxious about being in the lift with him.

"In the dressing room, Joe Root approached me, one of the finest individuals you’ll ever meet, and everyone made me feel incredibly welcomed.

The BBC "paused" Top Gear for the foreseeable future in 2023 after coming to a financial agreement with Flintoff.

However, he continues to hold resentment towards the entertainment culture he was part of, comparing it to his own injury-plagued playing career.

"I figured this out in sports as well. All the injuries, all the injections, all the instances I was sent onto the cricket field and treated like a piece of meat," he remarked.

"That's television and sport. They're quite alike, you’re merely a commodity. "

Despite frequent flashbacks regarding the accident, Flintoff has slowly regained the motivation to return to his public role as head coach of England Lions and Northern Superchargers.

"I don't believe I’m ever going to be better, just different now. I’m progressing gradually," he mentioned.

"Now I aim to adopt the mindset that the sun will rise tomorrow and my children will still embrace me. I’m likely in a more favorable state now. "

Flintoff ended his playing career in 2010 at the age of 31 after participating in 79 Tests from 1998 to 2009.

Following the crash, he was initially invited to assist the England Under-19s but was appointed as the head coach of the England Lions in September 2024.

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