THIS is the touching moment brave Freddie Flintoff speaks publicly for the first time since suffering horror injuries in his Top Gear crash.
The England cricket legend, 45, suffered serious facial injuries and broken ribs in a 130mph crash while filming the popular show in December last year.
Brave Freddie Flintoff spoke publicly for the first time today following his crash
He presented Tom Hartley with his cap for England
PAThe cricket legend suffered nasty injuries in the crash last year[/caption]
He was driving an open-topped three-wheeled Morgan Super 3 when it flipped over at the Dunsfold Park Aerodrome in Surrey.
Flintoff wasn’t wearing a helmet at the time of the near-fatal accident, which saw his face scrape across the floor.
The brave star hadn’t been seen out in public much since the crash but recently joined England Cricket team to help mentor them.
Flintoff has not spoken about the smash but in a heartwarming clip posted to X/Twitter today, he presented cricketer Tom Hartley with his cap for the England Cricket team.
In the heartwarming speech, Flintoff praised the “family”-like team and said they will “be there for you in the hardest times of your life”.
He said: “It gives me so much pleasure to share what’s going to be a day Tom that you’re going to remember for the rest of your life.
“When you get this cap, this changes your life.
“It’s one of those things, it’s before and after it. This enables you to walk tall and move faster.
“Play with passion, play with pride, play with belief. And also part of a family of people.
“They’ll share the good times with you, share the successes.
“But as I found over the past few months, they’ll be there for you in the hardest times of your life.
“They will stand next to you. So, like the lion on the cap Tom, be brave, be, fearless, be proud and enjoy every minute.”
The cricketing ace had to wait 45 minutes to be airlifted to hospital following the horror smash.
And reports found that the car did not have an airbag.
The BBC have since been accused of failings in its duty of care towards Flintoff.
Meanwhile it was revealed that Flintoff told Top Gear crew he had safety concerns on the day of his 130mph horror smash.
Senior BBC chiefs were made aware of the former telly host’s fears as a report into last December’s crash is finalised.
Flintoff has since quit the motoring show.
A source said: “Freddie voiced his worries about the safety of the stunt on set on the day of the accident.
“He questioned whether or not it was OK, given the vehicle and conditions on the track.
“He was apprehensive before he got behind the wheel and production staff at the track were aware of this.
“He was obviously used to taking part in these stunts during his time on the show, but alarm bells were ringing.
“It has been openly discussed since the accident by Top Gear employees, who are in doubt whether the show will ever return to screens.”
The cricketing ace had to wait 45 minutes to be airlifted to hospitalRex