Andrew Flintoff reckons his return to Test cricket after 18 months out with injury is like a new beginning in his international career.
Flintoff, 30, will earn his 68th cap in England's second match of the 'npower' series against South Africa at Headingley today.
Having gone through months of injury misery since captaining his country in the Ashes whitewash defeat in Sydney in January 2007, his mood is upbeat.
"It feels a little bit like a new beginning because it has been so long," said Flintoff, whose comeback from a fourth ankle operation was hindered recently by a six-week spell on the sidelines with a side strain.
"For me, it is almost a fresh start. A few years ago I was out for a while and then came back with some success, hopefully I can do that again this time.
"I was pleased, ecstatic almost, just to get the call back in the England squad.
"If you have ever pulled on an England shirt on, that is enough to get you back out playing one-day internationals, or Test cricket.
"The excitement, the emotions of playing a Test match and walking out with the rest of the team is enough to keep anyone going who has experienced that.
"Since Peter Moores has taken over as coach, I have not played a great deal apart from a few one-day games against India last year and a Twenty20 World Cup, so I am looking forward to playing cricket under him and with a few lads I have never played cricket with before, and just try to make a difference – be part of it all.
"I have waited a long time and there has been a lot of hard work gone into it over the past 18 months to get back into the Test squad.
"I feel good about my game, about myself and my fitness. The side strain is long gone and the ankle operation is forgotten too. I am just ready to go."
Yesterday England captain Michael Vaughan said that Andrew Flintoff will bat in the unfamiliar No7 position.
England have reshaped their team to accommodate the fit-again Flintoff and Vaughan revealed that regular No6 batsman Paul Collingwood, without a test hundred in more than a year, will make way for him with out-of-form wicketkeeper Tim Ambrose batting at six.
However, a back injury to Ryan Sidebottom that requires a fitness test this morning may yet reprieve Collingwood and Ambrose could bat as low as eight.
"I just want to play," added Flintoff. "It might be seen as towing the line but, having been 18 months out, I just want to play.
"I still feel the best years are ahead of me – I didn't start bowling properly until I was probably 24 or 25.
Meanwhile, Vaughan will be captaining England for the 50th time today and the right-hand batsman said he was extremely proud.
"It's a huge honour," said Vaughan. "You only get to that achievement by having good players, good management and winning games of cricket. You can only win games of cricket with good players and I'm just the lucky one to have had a few."