Ashes cricket legend, Top Gear presenter… now recovering Freddie Flintoff is a guide dog trainer

He has rarely been seen in public since the horrific Top Gear crash that left him with ‘life-altering’ injuries.

But retired England cricketer Freddie Flintoff was last week spotted out training a guide dog – an activity he’s taken up as part of his rehabilitation.

Both the presenter and his canine sidekick appeared to be making good progress… especially given that in the early days of training, Flintoff was prone to taking a tumble while walking his four-legged pupil.

Last month, his former team-mate Steve Harmison spoke about a reunion with the injured star a few weeks earlier. ‘Believe it or not, he was training a guide dog,’ he told TalkSport.

‘Which I’m sure is going better now than it was, because he tripped over about three times on his way around the field.’

Freddie Flintoff has rarely been seen in public since the horrific Top Gear crash that left him with ‘life-altering’ injuries

MAN’S BEST FRIEND: Freddie walking his puppy in training near his home

Flintoff wore a beanie hat, backpack and tinted glasses as he walked the ‘puppy in training’ near his £5.25 million home in Hale, Manchester, last week.

The 45-year-old is getting back on his feet after suffering a broken rib and severe facial injuries when the Morgan Super 3 roadster he was driving flipped at the Top Gear test track at Dunsford Aerodrome in Surrey in December.

He lost control of the three-wheeled, open-topped vehicle while taking a corner at just 22mph, but he was not wearing a helmet and was airlifted to hospital.

The father-of-four, the hero of England’s 2005 Ashes triumph, quit his job after the accident and the BBC cancelled the last series of the show.

Until a few months ago, he was still covering his face as his injuries were so acute.

But last month he appeared in public for the first time to coach England cricketers.

Freddie Flintoff with his wife Rachael at the Altitude Awards in October 2018

Speaking afterwards, Harmison said: ‘It was great to see him back.

‘You’ve seen the pictures of him with a smile on his face but I saw him about six weeks ago… but at that time he covered his face up.’

Earlier this month, The Mail on Sunday revealed that Flintoff, who has four children with his wife Rachael, was paid £9 million in compensation by BBC Studios for the accident, a figure based on two years’ lost earnings.

The BBC says no final decision has been made about the future of Top Gear.

However, Flintoff will return to the BBC for a second series of Field Of Dreams, mentoring youngsters in cricket.

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