Welsh star David Brooks makes his long-awaited return to football

It’s the news every Welsh football fan has been waiting to hear.

After battling cancer and then sustaining an injury which hampered his progress, David Brooks is back.

The Welsh star has today been named in the squad for Bournemouth’s game against Liverpool in the early kick off in the Premier League.

For the first time in 525 days, @DRBrooks15 is in a matchday squad ❤️ pic.twitter.com/ReJM34XrO2

— AFC Bournemouth 🍒 (@afcbournemouth) March 11, 2023

The midfield ace has been back in training and looking sharp.

AFC Bournemouth recentlyreleased footage of the Cymru star being put through his paces, as he looked to make his long awaited return to first team football after battling and beating cancer.

After the news of Gareth Bale’s retirement, seeing David Brooks looking sharp in training will provide much joy for any Cymru fan mourning the loss of their talisman, with the Bournemouth ace expected to form a pivotal part of Robert Page’s plans on his return to the game.

Small steps, @DRBrooks15 💪 pic.twitter.com/MBm275ljHb

— AFC Bournemouth 🍒 (@afcbournemouth) January 12, 2023

In November, Brooks was pictured arriving at the Cymru World Cup training camp ahead of the England game.

The Bournemouth midfielder, one of the international side’s brightest prospects, was invited out to Qatar by Rob Page so he could experience the World Cup with the rest of the squad.

The player, who has now had thew all clear, was pictured at the Cymru hotel with chief medical officer Jonathan Houghton, the medic who was part of the team who helped diagnose Brooks’ Hodgkin’s Lymphoma.

Brooks signed a new four-year deal with Bournemouth in August just 10 months after being diagnosed with stage two Hodgkin lymphoma.

“I’ve seen footage of him training and it’s quite emotional watching it,” said Robert Page ahead of the World Cup.

“What he’s had to go through to get back to that level, it’s incredible. I am just so pleased for him, so we want to take that pressure off him.

“We wouldn’t rush him back. We wouldn’t do that to Bournemouth and we wouldn’t do that to Brooksy.

“Bournemouth have been excellent throughout, how they’ve managed him from what he’s been through from day one.

“To get him to the level of fitness he’s at, they have been sympathetic and brilliant.”

The 21-times capped Brooks has not played since Bournemouth drew at Peterborough on September 29, 2021.