For the visit of Newcastle we spoke to one of the biggest names in world sport and found out about his injuries and how he started supporting North End in the first place.

Is Andrew Flintoff the David Beckham of cricket? Both have Preston connections, have captained their countries and are seen as national treasures. However, only one of them has the freedom of our great city and sits second only to Sir Tom in terms of sporting greats to have emanated from these Lancashire roots.

'Freddy' has been rehabilitating from the knee operation that he hopes will allow him to continue to allow him to pull up trees in the one day forms of our country's national summer sport (albeit it is played all year round now!). He's been doing this over in Dubai, but was back in the country recently to sign his new deal with Lancashire and to promote his autobiography.

"I went to see the specialist recently and he has said he is very pleased with my recovery after the operation," the 31-year-old said of his efforts to get back from his operation. "It's still going to be a long, tough road for me, but I can now look forward and start slowly building the strength in my right knee up again. I will go and see the specialist again in January and take it from there."

The Lancashire all-rounder picked up an MBE for his efforts in the 2005 Ashes, where he was named man of the series and followed that up with ICC cricketer of the year and BBC Sports Personality of the Year, and he admits that cricket was always going to be his sport.

"I don't think I ever had aspirations of being a footballer - I wasn't a natural! All I ever wanted to do was play cricket. I played football at school and a Sunday morning team, but cricket was always my main interest. Because I was big for my age I always used to play centre half and I was one of those defenders that just used to lump it back down the pitch.

"I wasn't a very cultured player. My main motivation for playing football was for acceptance. Cricket was regarded as a bit weird at school and by playing football, it allowed me to carry on with my cricket without anyone noticing.

"I played a bit of mini-rugby at Preston Grasshoppers and because I was big and fast I suppose I was better than some my age. I was asked to go down and train with them, but I didn't fancy getting bashed around like that, so I stuck with cricket."

However, he did enjoy watching the game and recalls some enjoyable times at Deepdale: "I used to attend every home game during the John Beck days with the plastic pitch and the main thing I remember is how high the ball used to bounce on it. I also went to a couple of away games with my mates. I remember a few of us going to Rochdale on the coach - they were good days and I have very fond memories of that time.

"I think my favourite player at the time was Tony Ellis because he was the main goalscorer. I think kids always like to think of themselves as the main striker. When I played football I was always put in defence, I think partly because of my size, but occasionally I was put up front and I used to imagine I was Tony Ellis then.

"[I didn't get to see them at Wembley] I was playing cricket then, I'm afraid. The Play-Offs have always been during the cricket season and I remember all my mates going, but even back then cricket was always my priority. In fact, the only time I've ever been to Wembley was to watch England play against Poland a few years back!

"I've been out in Dubai for the last couple of months recovering from a knee operation and out there you get more football on TV than you do even in England. We get all the games we're used to over here plus several games on Saturday, so I've been able to watch probably more football than I normally would."

His family, particularly his granddad, have always been big North End fans and the IPL high earner admitted his family have always influenced his sporting career: "It was my Dad more than anything that encouraged my sport. When we were kids we would occasionally sneak in to watch North End towards the end of the game when they let you in for free. I don't remember ever seeing a full game when I was younger!"

Nowadays, as a bonafide national treasure, Flintoff is proud of his roots and of being even mentioned in the same breath as Sir Tom Finney: "I am very proud to have come from Preston. I've not lived there for a while, but all my family still live there. It was a very proud moment a few years ago to be given the freedom of the city. It terms of being a sporting inspiration, I still believe I'm a million miles behind Sir Tom. He really is a living legend and to me he epitomises everything to do with Preston.

"When you grow up in Preston, Sir Tom is someone you hear about all the time and people tell you what a remarkable player he was. There is a road named after him near the ground and a statue in his honour and I think everyone who was born in Preston is immensely proud that Sir Tom is one of us and has lived among us all his life.

"I've had the pleasure of meeting him a couple of times and he really is a great man. I'm very proud to play cricket for Lancashire as well. Having been born in Lancashire it has been a massive thing for me to play county cricket for them and be associated with them since the age of nine.

"I went back to Old Trafford a few weeks ago to sign a new contract and I was getting excited just being around the place again - that's how much it means to me to be able to play for Lancashire. That pride comes from being a Lancashire lad and being from Preston. There was a lot written about me after I retired from Test cricket, but I was never going to do anything other than play for Lancashire."