Andrew Flintoff insists nothing will get in the way of him playing one-day cricket for England.

Even if he received offers of more than #500 000 to go bungee jumping or to indulge in any other extreme sport, he maintains he would turn them down if they clashed with a chance to pull on the Three Lions.

Flintoff had been painted as a mercenary ready to hawk his talents far and wide after he turned down an incremental contract worth #25 000 with the ECB.

But after hobbling into a London hotel on crutches on Monday, four weeks after undergoing an operation on the damaged knee which forced him to quit Test cricket, he said: "I'm available for every England game. Twenty20s and one-day internationals, just not Test matches.

"England come first, closely followed by Lancashire.

"I'd choose England over everything. If it clashed with the IPL (Indian Premier League) I'd play for England. England is what I've wanted to do since I was a kid.

"I don't know how long left I've got doing it, so I want to play every game I can do."

An e-mail clarifying Flintoff's situation has been sent to ECB managing director Hugh Morris.

Flintoff remains contracted to Lancashire for another 12 months and has a contract with Chennai Super Kings in the Indian Premier League next year.

If he is so committed to England, many might still wonder why he did not sign the contract with the ECB.

Flintoff explained: "One of the reasons is that I'm 31 and I know my body and when I can and can't play.

"I still have some personal ambition. If the opportunity arose to play in Australia I'd love to do that. I wanted to go when I was younger.

"I've seen a lot of cricketers come to the end of their careers. It creeps up on them and they have nothing to do. I want to forge another career as well.

"I've got three kids and a family so I want to provide for them. I want to work and didn't want any restraints over that. But I'm available for every England game and you can give me every scenario, but provided I'm fit and not on crutches I'm ready to go."

Flintoff, who has been recuperating in Dubai, admits he might also do some coaching in the United Arab Emirates.

"I've offered my services if I can help anywhere along the line. Not on an employment basis, just try to help," he said.

"I don't think I'd be a very good coach on a day-to-day basis."

Flintoff also admitted he had taken the field too often when he should not have done.

"What am I doing here?"

He said: "I've had anti-inflammatories inside me, jabs in my backside. I was on the field thinking 'What am I doing here? Am I going to get through this game?'

"The more I did it the more I felt I could get through it. The moment you stop is worse.

"Some of the mornings the missus had to get me out of bed and put my shoes and socks on to get me in the car to go to the ground. But the reason I do it is because I love it."

It was all made worthwhile on the last morning of the Lord's Test this summer when his five wickets gave England the lead in the Ashes series.

Flintoff said: "At certain points in my career I've had lots of self-doubt, but there are times when you think you can do anything. That was one of those mornings.

"I turned up to the ground with some weird excitement. I couldn't shut up. I was everywhere doing everything. I just thought it's going to happen today. When it's like that it's amazing and you do stupid things like that celebration."

The image, down on one knee, arms outstretched, adorns the front cover of his book 'Ashes to Ashes' (Hodder&Stoughton) which was launched on Monday and tells Flintoff's incredible story.

The boozing, the infamous pedalo incident which cost him the England vice-captaincy, the tears he shed when he felt he had let down his family and the spectacular run-out of Australia captain Ricky Ponting which effectively won the Ashes.

He smiles at the memory but insists he has come to terms with the fact his Test days are over.

"England and myself need to move on," said Flintoff. "We've got players like Broady (Stuart Broad) who will be a lot better than I've been. Move on."