Andrew Flintoff 'quit drinking to beat depression'

Andrew Flintoff has revealed that he has given up drinking, as it makes his bouts of depression worse.

The former England all-rounder had a reputation for being a hard drinker and famously attended a Downing Street reception for England's winning 2005 Ashes team while drunk.

However, Flintoff told BBC Radio 4's Desert Island Discs that he has given up drinking in a bid to improve his mental health.

He said: "It's not so much the drinking, it's actually the reasons why you are drinking. When you are drinking because you are trying to get away from something I think that is when you have to look at everything.

"One of the reasons I probably stopped drinking is the fact that I am prone to suffer from depression. Drinking does not help one bit. I don't touch it now."

Flintoff took 226 wickets in 79 Tests.