David Brooks: The player who cured cancer and now wants to take on the world

It has now been three years since Brooks’ emotional return to the Premier League in March 2023, when he came off the bench to applause from all four sides of the pitch at Aston Villa.

There was a loan spell with Southampton before he re-established himself at Vitality, where he was handed a new four-year contract a few months ago.

“I thought he was Bournemouth’s best player in pre-season and he continued to be so when the season started,” adds Mepham, as Brooks now looks remarkably like he has never been absent and has missed almost two years of top-flight football.

“There were no question marks about his ability, the only concerns were about his fitness, but his match data in matches was much higher than before.”

It has to be, given the style of Bournemouth’s approach under Andoni Iraola, with both the Cherries and Craig Bellamy’s Wales sharing an intensity in the way they want to play.

There is also effectiveness. Brooks ranks fifth in the Premier League for average expected assists over 90 minutes, and in the top 10 for carries that lead to a chance.

“I think he has really developed,” says Joe Partington, the former Bournemouth and Wales Under-21 defender, who is part of the BBC Solent team that regularly covers the Cherries.

“You could see his influence on and off the pitch – he was a leader and you can’t understand that if the manager doesn’t have a real belief in what you can do as a player.

“I think it was normal for people to wonder if he would reach the levels again, but he did and when you think about it, it’s unbelievable.”

A sentiment agreed with amazement by Kiefer Moore, another former Bournemouth team-mate who also shared the Wales dressing room at Euro 2020 with Brooks.

“He’s gone from strength to strength – which is really remarkable, given what his body and mind have been through,” says the Wrexham striker.