Should England regain the Ashes on Monday it will be a greater triumph than that of 2005, all-rounder Andrew Flintoff said on Tuesday night ahead of his Test swansong.
Flintoff, who will retire from Test cricket after the Ashes series to preserve his battered body for limited-overs competition, said the recent transition within the England side would make victory this year particularly sweet.
England must win the fifth and final Test at The Oval, starting on Thursday, in order to regain the urn for the second successive time on home soil.
"Obviously going in 1-1 but if we win this one it will be a far greater achievement than 2005," Flintoff said.
"2005 was fantastic but the side had performed well over a period of time and we'd beaten everyone in the world and we came here against Australia expecting to win."
Asked if a win at The Oval would be an apt way to cap off Flintoff's career, he said: "Of course it would, a loss would probably ruin it."
England's squad for this year's decider contains only five players who participated in its celebrated 2005 campaign - captain Andrew Strauss, Paul Collingwood, Steve Harmison, Ian Bell and Flintoff.
"The side's changed a helluva lot," said Flintoff, who along with fellow superstar Kevin Pietersen have not featured in every Test this series.
"We've got young players who have never played in the Ashes and from my point of view with the injuries that I've had to be here, if we won it would be a far greater achievement for some of the things that have happened over the past six, 12 months."
Even if the result of the series had been decided, there would still be enormous interest in the game as it will be Flintoff's last in the Test arena.
The 31-year-old, who is confident the condition of his injured right knee has improved sufficiently to allow him to play, said there would be no room for sentimentality in such an important game.
"My thoughts over the past week have been getting fit for this Test match which is the biggest I'll ever play in, not because it's my last but the position of the series," he said.
"One-all against Australia, it's a great opportunity for anyone going out there to take the series by the scruff of the neck and put in a match-winning performance."
Flintoff admitted he would miss the cut and thrust of Test match cricket and said he would look on with mixed emotions when England take on South Africa later this year.
But he is comfortable he has made the right decision to give up the five-day game.
"When you talk about injuries and going through rehab at times it has been tough but the thought of putting on an England shirt and cap again it's the one thing that gets you through," he said.
"And having the opportunity to wear the three lions around the world and at venues like Lord's, walking out there on a pitch like that, or here walking out on Thursday I don't think you can actually put into words how much I enjoy it."
"I've had all these injuries, surgery, periods of rehab which total up into the years now."
"That's been frustrating but if someone said at 20 that I'd have played this many Test matches for England I'd have snapped their arm off because I played young and didn't think I'd get back in after the start I had. I'm pleased with the way it's gone."