David Brooks is heading into Bournemouth's first European campaign with a very personal reference point. He was diagnosed with stage two Hodgkin lymphoma five years ago, declared himself cancer-free in May 2022 and returned to action in March 2023. Since then, the Bournemouth midfielder has been part of a season built on progress, with the club finishing sixth and moving into Europe for the first time in their history.
Brooks' recovery and first club trip in Europe
Brooks said of the cancer battle, "It feels like a different lifetime ago." He added that making it back to this level was "a massive accomplishment" for him personally.
The football side of the story has its own first. "I've tasted going abroad with Wales, but I've never done it at club level," Brooks said. He has already been part of the international game with Wales, but club football is about to give him a different kind of European test.
That sits alongside a summer that has clearly changed day to day life at home too. Brooks and his wife Flora are preparing for their daughter Lottie's first steps, and Brooks said, "She's crawling now and standing up. I'm getting my steps in when I get home."
Bournemouth's first European season
The scale of Bournemouth's breakthrough is easy to miss if you focus only on the league table. The club's Stadium holds around 11,300, the smallest in the Premier League by more than 6,000 seats, yet it is the platform for a first season in Europe. Their recent league form, DDWWD, also shows they are going into it with momentum rather than as passengers.
Brooks is only one part of that story, and the club would still have reached this point without turning his comeback into a footballing explanation. But his return from illness gives the whole thing more weight, especially with Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal waiting on the other side of the draw. Brooks called the chance to be on that stage "crazy", and Bournemouth now have to turn a first European campaign into something more than a one-off appearance.
FAQ
How does David Brooks talk about returning after cancer?
Brooks said, "It feels like a different lifetime ago" and called his return "a massive accomplishment" after being diagnosed with stage two Hodgkin lymphoma five years ago. He declared himself cancer-free in May 2022 and returned to action in March 2023.
Why is Bournemouth's first European season such a big step?
Bournemouth qualified for European football for the first time in their history after finishing sixth in the Premier League. Brooks also said he has tasted going abroad with Wales, but has "never done it at club level".
What does David Brooks say about facing Cristiano Ronaldo?
Brooks said, "Being on that stage with potentially one of the best players of probably our lifetime - it's just crazy." The match gives him a first taste of club football in Europe as Bournemouth step into a new campaign.
Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 1 outlet. How we work →
