Andew Flintoff has ‘sprinkled gold-dust’ on England and his mentor role should be full-time, says coach Marcus Trescothick… while return to cricket has helped Ashes hero get back to being ‘Freddie’ after Top Gear smash

• Andrew Flintoff’s role as an unpaid mentor comes to an end on Tuesday 
• Former all-rounder has been working with England during one-day series 
• Assistant coach Marcus Trescothick has noticed a difference in Flintoff 

Andrew Flintoff’s return to English cricket comes to an end on Tuesday, at least for now, with an old team-mate leading the calls for his comeback to be made permanent.

Marcus Trescothick says the man he played alongside in the famous 2005 Ashes triumph has ‘sprinkled gold-dust’ on the England dressing room in his unpaid role as a mentor for the one-day series against New Zealand and Ireland.

And England’s assistant coach has noticed a difference in Flintoff from the day he quietly crept back into the set-up without fanfare at Cardiff two weeks ago to the confident figure working with the white-ball wannabees at Bristol on Monday.

‘I think he was a little bit nervous coming into the environment,’ said Trescothick ahead of the final international of the season.

‘He didn’t know many of the people here so he’s grown massively from when he first came in. He’s back to being the person you expect him to be around cricket, the person I’ve seen for so many years. That’s been great, really good.’

Andrew Flintoff has been working as an unpaid mentor for England during the summer

Flintoff had remained away from the limelight as he continued his recovery from crash

England batting coach Marcus Trescothick (left) with Flintoff during the ODI at Cardiff

That person is ‘Freddie’, the man who became a cricketing superstar and then carved out a just as successful second career in television before the horrific car accident while filming Top Gear nine months ago that could easily have taken his life.

The re-introduction of Flintoff into the game that made him, sensitively handled by his close friend Rob Key, has been a huge success and Freddie is now expected to work with England again soon, possibly as early as the white-ball tour to the Caribbean in December.

‘Seeing him grow back into Freddie has been great,’ said Trescothick. ‘He’s been away from cricket for a long time but this is where it all started for him and where he belongs. The guys have really taken to him and we’re all hoping we see him again.

‘A couple of times he’s spoken in the changing room and it’s been like ‘wow’. The way he talks and delivers messages to players has been superb. To have him sprinkling a bit of gold-dust around the team and having the younger players working with him has been invaluable. You can’t put a price on it.’

The only person who has, perhaps, ‘suffered’ from Flintoff’s presence has been his fellow hero from 2005. ‘It’s been hard for me actually because he hammers me more than anyone else,’ smiled Trescothick. ‘I’m the first target for his banter!

‘No, it’s been fantastic. We can all see Freddie improving and that’s really good from our point of view. If we as players and squads and cricket in general keep helping people who have had a tough time, like Freddie has, then we’re doing something right.’

The day-night game against Ireland gives England’s second-string one last chance to earn places as non-travelling reserves for the World Cup squad that leaves for India  on Wednesday.

Will Jacks, who made 94 in the victory in what became the first game of this series at Trent Bridge on Saturday after the Headingley wash-out, looks to be at the front of the queue.

‘We know what a talent he is,’ added Trescothick. ‘Getting the chance to play will be his biggest challenge because this is a difficult team to break into.’

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