June 26th, 2021. Amsterdam Arena. Cymru have suffered a 4-0 defeat to Denmark and have bowed out of Euro 2020.
In the 78th minute, David Brooks comes on to replace Dan James. Little did anyone know; this would be Brooks’ final appearance in a Welsh shirt for almost two years.
A few months after the round of 16 exit, Wales doctor Jon Houghton discovers a problem in Brooks’ blood and sends him for tests. Those tests reveal that the Bournemouth winger has stage two Hodgkin lymphoma.
“When the word cancer pops it into your head, it’s not until you have a proper conversation with certain specialists who tell you the prognosis and the treatment plan and the success of the treatment that you relax on the word.
“As soon as I had that conversation saying it might even be that within 24 hours I had been diagnosed, I had all the answers, and I was ready to go.”
Brooks underwent six months of chemotherapy, an experience that takes its toll on any individual.
“If you know anyone who’s been through chemo, there’s no real fun bit to it. The prognosis was always quite positive, and it was always in my head that I would never take more than six months.
“I had six months of treatment. I know other people can get bad news after that six months, but that was never in my mind it was going to happen.
“In my head, it was, six months and then I’m done.”
Thankfully, Brooksy was declared cancer free in March 2022. However, he was understandably nowhere near his physical peak.
“I remember I went for a walk on the beach, and I got literally 100 yards and had to sit down.
“My missus walked off with the dog and picked me up on the way back. I couldn’t really go out and do anything because I was out of breath or feeling too sickly.
“There were nice moments within the treatment, but I was just getting through it and seeing where you are on the other side.”
Slowly, Brooks worked his way back to a position where he was able to play football again and started playing with Bournemouth’s reserve sides.
A hat trick against a Portsmouth Development side an indication that a return to first team action was beckoning.
The winger’s road to recovery was complete in mid-March when he came on as a substitute against Aston Villa.
Brooks would go on to make six appearances at the end of the season, as the Cherries secured another season in the Premier League.
The only thing missing from the fairytale return was an appearance in the red shirt of Wales.
A callup to the squad to face Armenia and Turkey is a perfect opportunity for Brooks to mark his comeback.
“I’m hoping it will be a nice reception if I can get some minutes. Even if I don’t, when my name gets announced, it should be a nice reception.
“Even if it’s louder or not, it will mean more from the Wales fans because they’ve seen my journey and supported me from the start of my Wales career.”
A lot has changed in the Wales camp since Brooks was last involved, however, the mantra surrounding the team hasn’t, and the Bournemouth man is looking to make up for lost time.
“We all have the same goal of reaching the Euros, the World Cup – that’s what everyone wants to play in. There’s a lot of new faces, people I’ve not met prior to this camp, and a lot of new staff.
“But the brief time I’ve worked with them over the past week, we’re all pushing in the same direction and trying to achieve the same goal.”
Seeing his teammates once again is of course a great feeling, but it’s a reunion with Doctor Houghton that Brooks will always remember.
“I do owe him a lot; he’s obviously done a lot for us.
“It’s always nice to see him. Whenever my mum and dad see him, they burst out crying and give him a big hug. Lot of respect there and I can’t thank him enough.”
For all the excitement surrounding Brooks’ upcoming return to the Cardiff City Stadium on Friday night, his experience serves as a timely reminder that football isn’t the be all and end all.
“As soon as I had the diagnosis, I wanted to just still be on earth. It puts into perspective how important football is, I think. It does mean a lot to me, and my ambitions haven’t changed.
“I still want to try and get to the very top. But it has put things into perspective that football is not live or die.
“It’s not the end of the world if you don’t end up playing football. The main thing is being happy and healthy.”
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