David Brooks has spoken about combining football with fatherhood as he prepares for a season of firsts, including a European debut with Bournemouth in the Europa League and a likely meeting with childhood hero Cristiano Ronaldo when Wales face Portugal in the Nations League. The 29-year-old midfielder, who returned to professional football in 2023 after beating stage two Hodgkin lymphoma, said he now feels fully recovered and is relishing watching his young daughter Lottie take her first steps at home.

Brooks made his Wales debut in 2017 and could earn his 50th cap this year as Wales play Portugal, Denmark and Norway home and away in Nations League A, starting in Lisbon on 24 September. He described facing Ronaldo, a boyhood idol, as "crazy" and a personal achievement after his illness, while backing head coach Craig Bellamy despite Wales missing out on the World Cup and Bellamy's flirtation with a Burnley move. Separately, Bournemouth have qualified for European football for the first time in their history after finishing sixth in the Premier League, though manager Andoni Iraola has since left for Liverpool, with Marco Rose taking over at Vitality Stadium.