Tom Lawes was only two years old when England won the 2005 Ashes but has still been struck by Andrew Flintoff's "aura" while being coached by him - a series of interactions he described as "surreal".
Lawes, the highly-rated young allrounder, earned a call-up to England's Lions programme through his performances for Surrey last season, taking 39 wickets at 19.76 as they won the County Championship for the second season in a row. It gave him the chance to work with Flintoff for three weeks at a November training camp in the UAE.
"That was quite a surreal experience," Lawes told ESPNcricinfo. "Him and Swanny [Graeme Swann] were out in Abu Dhabi with us and did quite a lot. I did a little bit of bowling work with Fred and it was just really cool to ask questions. The stories he's got are unbelievable and the experiences that he shared were invaluable, really.
"He's cool. He's obviously got that aura - as he would - about him. But he's genuinely the friendliest, nicest, most approachable guy. I got on really well with him, asked lots of questions. He was like, 'I'm here for as much or as little as you need'. He's really understanding, really good to talk to and I really enjoyed working with him."
Lawes has no memories of the 2005 series that marked the pinnacle of Flintoff's career, his 402 runs and 24 wickets earning him the inaugural Compton-Miller medal. But he grew up watching the ubiquitous DVD box-set: "I don't remember watching him when I was three years old… [but] I've watched it millions of times, and I know about it."
He clearly made a positive impression: last month, Flintoff's Northern Superchargers signed Lawes on a £50,000 contract, picking him ahead of a recent England international in Richard Gleeson. It is a major show of faith in a player who has only made nine professional T20 appearances.
"Fred dropped me a message saying he was buzzing to have me," Lawes said. "It was a really nice feeling; a little bit out of the blue. I didn't really know what was happening, and then to be able to work under him again… that will be really cool. I'm really happy with that."
He was an unused member of Oval Invincibles' title-winning squad last season, and is hoping for more exposure to white-ball cricket this summer. "I want to contribute more in the Blast for Surrey to start with and then hopefully, because I didn't get a run-out in the Hundred last year, I'd love to put in a few performances this year."
More immediately, Lawes is part of a Surrey squad hoping to win their third consecutive Championship title - a feat last achieved by Yorkshire in the 1960s. "If I can match my performances from last year - or maybe even contribute a little bit more with the bat - I'd be really happy," he said. "I'm trying to be as close to a genuine allrounder as I can."
When Lawes first came into the Surrey team "he shocked everyone," recalls Ollie Pope, five years Lawes' senior at Cranleigh School. "Everyone knew he had talent, but the pace he bowled with and the control he had as well was seriously impressive. He's the exact kind of bloke you want in your team. He's young but he's confident and he always wants the ball.
"When Burnsy [Rory Burns, Surrey's captain] takes the ball off him, he's always like, 'Come on, give me one more'. He's definitely one that you could easily see playing for England in the next few years as well. He's got the pace and the skills… he's got everything you need."
Lawes made a solitary appearance for England at Under-19 level but the ECB have tracked him closely, particularly since he broke into the Surrey side two years ago. He believes that his main strength is his versatility: he has generally played as one of five seamers, often as second or third change, and has often found success with the surprise yorker that is becoming his trademark.
Pope believes that Lawes' next task is to develop the skills that will help him thrive away from home. A bruised heel limited him to playing one of the Lions' three 'Tests' against India A at the start of the year, in which he bowled 15 wicketless overs. "I felt like I held my own, but that I had more to give," he said.
The entire tour took place in Ahmedabad, with matches staged at the cavernous Narendra Modi Stadium. "It was a cool experience, but quite intense just being in one place and not travelling around the whole time, and just playing cricket," Lawes reflected. "It's a ridiculous stadium. I think they shut it, so there was literally no-one there: it was just echoes."
There should at least be a thousand or so hardy fans at Emirates Old Trafford on Friday, when Surrey start their Championship season against Lancashire. "It's the same as last year: starting afresh. The goal is to go again, and we're all keen and eager to get going."