New Delhi, March 31 : Corey, the eldest of former England skipper Andrew Flintoff, has signed a two-year rookie contract with Kent. Corey, a fast-bowling all-rounder just like his father, follows his younger brother Rocky into playing county cricket in England.

The 19-year-old had made waves by representing Lancashire's age groups and Academy teams, as well as representing the North at the Bunbury cricket festival in 2021 and featuring for Lancashire's Second XI last year. But his progress was halted by a stress fracture in his back.

With his deal at Lancashire expiring, Flintoff was seen training with Kent's first-team this week and bowled four overs in the club's latest two-day warm-up match against Essex at The Spitfire Ground, St Lawrence on Friday.

'I'm delighted to be joining Kent to continue my development as a player under Adam Hollioake and the excellent coaching staff here. The lads in the dressing room have been so welcoming to me this week and there's a great atmosphere here.

'I'm excited for what's next for me and I know that Kent is the right place for me to make the step up to first-team cricket,' said Corey in a statement issued by the club on Monday.

The deal with Kent will also allow Corey to play for the county around his University studies for at least the next two seasons. 'Corey is an extremely exciting young player and has great all-round ability to score runs and take wickets.

'He is a very hard worker and I know that he is extremely determined to make a name for himself in professional cricket. We're delighted that he feels that he can do this as a Kent cricketer,' said Simon Cook, Kent's Director of Cricket.

Flintoff made 227 appearances for England across all three formats between 1998 and 2009 and was widely regarded as one of their best ever all-rounders to have ever played international cricket.

In the last few years, he has been in various coaching set-ups and was head coach of England Lions, where Rocky, who signed a deal with Lancashire, scored a hundred against a Cricket Australia XI in Brisbane in January.

/IANS