Andrew Flintoff – aka ‘Freddie’ Flintoff – has been forced to reduce the asking price on his property by a not inconsiderable sum of £1.5 million.

Situated in Withinlee Road in Cheshire, recently retired Andrew Flintoff has also switched estate agents in an effort to encourage a buyer.

The Ashes hero, 32, has never lived in the house which he developed with his wife Rachael after purchasing the property from Fulham manager Mark Hughes.

According to the Daily Mail, a source said: “Freddie has been stumped as to why the house hasn’t sold the £5 million asking price.

“It really is a stunning property and in the most prestigious road in the area. He decided to switch estate agents and knock £1.5 million off the asking price.”

The house was originally bought in the October 2007 for £1,850,000. Mark Hughes’ property development company Mark Dafydd Developments Ltd had secured planning permission but Freddie resubmitted even grander plans to the council to create a house double the size.

The source added: “There was a lot of objection to it because people thought it was far too big but after initially withdrawing the plans he was successful in getting the go-ahead.

“It even has two pools in the basement, one for the adults and a splash pool which would have been for his children.

“It has a ‘smart system’ built into it which can control everything from running your bath, closing your curtains, turning on the sprinklers in the garden and ensuring the security and safety of the building.”

Andrew and his wife, who planned to retire in the house, have now decided to move to Dubai as they have already settled there.

Last December Withinlee Road was named one of the most expensive streets to live on outside of Southern England in the annual ‘top streets’ table compiled by the Halifax with an average house price of £1.2million.

Although the area boasts inhabitants such as Wayne Rooney, Carlos Tevez and Michael Carrick, Freddie’s house is the most expensive property ever to be offered for sale on the exclusive area.