David Brooks is heading into the new season carrying more milestones than most. The 29-year-old Bournemouth midfielder is preparing for his first European campaign at club level, a likely encounter with Cristiano Ronaldo on international duty, and the daily joy of watching his daughter Lottie take her first steps at home.

"She's crawling now and standing up. I'm getting my steps in when I get home," Brooks told Feast of Football. "Things have changed from the first couple of months after she was born where you're frightened to do anything. I'm enjoying it a lot now — she's got a personality, so when you go home there's obviously a lot of enjoyment to be had."

A cancer battle that feels like a different lifetime

Five years ago, Brooks was diagnosed with stage two Hodgkin lymphoma. He went through chemotherapy, lost more than a stone in weight, and became so weakened by treatment that getting out of bed was a daily struggle. Seven months after his diagnosis, in May 2022, he declared himself cancer-free, before eventually returning to the pitch in March 2023.

"It feels like a different lifetime ago," Brooks said. "Over the past couple of years, I've kind of got back to a place prior to that. So I feel good, and sometimes I forget that it even happened."

Playing against a childhood idol

Brooks made his Wales debut in 2017 and could earn his 50th cap before the year is out. Wales are competing in Nations League A, with home and away fixtures against Portugal, Denmark, and Norway. Craig Bellamy's side open their campaign against Portugal in Lisbon on 24 September — a prospect that excites Brooks, a boyhood Manchester United fan who grew up idolising Ronaldo.

"I had one or two of his tops," Brooks said. "Being on that stage with potentially one of the best players of probably our lifetime — it's just crazy. It's a massive accomplishment for me personally to make it back to that point. We want to showcase our talents and prove to the world that we're not just there to make up the numbers, that we can compete."

Wales are still coming to terms with failing to qualify for this summer's World Cup, and Bellamy himself came close to leaving for Burnley. But Brooks says the squad are focused on the future, with Euro 2028 firmly in their sights.

Bournemouth's historic European debut

Bournemouth have qualified for European competition for the first time in their history after finishing sixth in the Premier League. However, the architect of that achievement, head coach Andoni Iraola, has since departed — taking charge at Liverpool — with Marco Rose installed as his replacement at Vitality Stadium.

"When Andoni told us he was leaving we were a little bit gutted because we did really well last season," Brooks admitted. "But changes happen. Once this gaffer came in he was really friendly. He just wanted to get to know everyone and set out what he wants done. We've all really enjoyed training."

With a capacity of around 11,300, Vitality Stadium is the smallest in the Premier League by more than 6,000 seats, but after securing the necessary UEFA licence, Bournemouth will discover their Europa League group-stage opponents when the draw takes place on 28 August.

"I've tasted going abroad with Wales, but I've never done it at club level," Brooks said. "I'm really looking forward to those European nights and how special they can be."

Season opener at Manchester City

Bournemouth begin their Premier League campaign at Manchester City on Sunday. Brooks also touched on former teammate Antoine Semenyo, who departed in January but remains in the club's WhatsApp coffee group chat.

"We haven't thrown him out yet. To be fair, half of us in that group chat aren't even at Bournemouth anymore," Brooks said. "Hopefully I'm not tracking him back too much. I'm hoping he doesn't score against us — and we all wish he has another good season, after the first game of course."