David Brooks is entering a pivotal season featuring both personal milestones and professional challenges. The 29-year-old midfielder will face childhood hero Cristiano Ronaldo with Wales in the Nations League before making his European debut with Bournemouth in the Europa League. Off the pitch, Brooks and his wife Flora are preparing for their daughter Lottie's first steps, marking a stark contrast to the uncertainty of his recent past.

Brooks' journey includes overcoming a stage two Hodgkin lymphoma diagnosis five years ago. After enduring chemotherapy and significant weight loss, he declared himself cancer-free in May 2022 and returned to action in March 2023. "It feels like a different lifetime ago," he reflected, noting how he's regained his pre-illness form.

On the international stage, Brooks could earn his 50th Wales cap by year's end. Wales face Portugal, Denmark, and Norway in Nations League A, with Brooks eager to test himself against Ronaldo, whom he idolized growing up.

At club level, Bournemouth's historic European qualification follows their sixth-place Premier League finish. However, head coach Andoni Iraola departed for Liverpool, with Marco Rose taking charge. "When Andoni told us he was leaving we were a little bit gutted," Brooks admitted, but expressed optimism about working under the new manager ahead of their Europa League campaign.

The season kicks off with a challenging Premier League fixture against Manchester City, where former teammate Antoine Semenyo now plays after his January departure.