London, Apr 3: England`s star all-rounder Andrew Flintoff, who has been out since undergoing a fourth operation on his left ankle in October 2007, feels that his recovery has been his best yet and he is close to bowling at full fitness.

And with the three-Test series against New Zealand starting at Lord`s on May 15, Flintoff is determined his name should be considered for selection.

"After my previous times under the knife I`ve come back for a deadline, like an Ashes series or a World Cup. That is never easy. But this time I`ve been practising and playing a normal pre-season with Lancashire. So I feel, when the season starts, I`ll be where I want to be," Flintoff was quoted as saying.

He said that he was desperate to play in the first Test, and added that he has missed a lot of international cricket.

"But I am under no illusions about starting again. The team has just won two Tests in a row and I will have to prove my worth with both bat and ball," Flintoff said.

Lancashire`s recent tour to Abu Dhabi gave Flintoff a chance both to test out his ankle and let rip at opposition batsmen.

"The rehab geared me up well and I stuck to my usual routine of staying focused and getting a Red Bull inside me. I was happy with the results," he added.