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New York Times
5 hours ago
- New York Times
David Brooks interview: ‘With chemo, you are being poisoned – it deconditions you as a footballer'
Over the first weekend of the new Premier League season, no player recorded more sprints in a match than the 26 notched up by Bournemouth's David Brooks. In a thrilling opening fixture at Anfield on Friday, Bournemouth went toe-to-toe with reigning champions Liverpool, fighting back from 2-0 down to draw level, before the home side emerged as 4-2 winners with two goals in the final moments. Brooks, the 28-year-old Wales international winger, was key to the visitors' effort, producing a superb cross to assist Antoine Semenyo's first goal, and integral to a pressing that unnerved Liverpool all night. Advertisement Brooks' output is all the more remarkable when you consider the challenges he has faced in recent years. In October 2021, he was diagnosed with cancer; 598 days passed before his next competitive start for Bournemouth, in May 2023. As he rebuilt his strength and fitness following extensive chemotherapy, his return was delayed due to a hamstring injury in August 2022, while his pre-season last summer was hampered by a dislocated shoulder suffered in the 2023-24 Championship play-off final while on loan at Southampton. It is perhaps only now, after a full pre-season back with his parent club, that Brooks has fully rediscovered his fitness, form and confidence. 'If you offered any footballer a year or two years out without injuries or illness, they would struggle to come back and be anywhere near Premier League standard,' Brooks tells The Athletic. 'But with the illness, especially chemotherapy, you are essentially being poisoned. That's what chemo is. It kills all cells in your body, the good and the bad. You are extremely deconditioned, compared to what you are used to as a footballer. Plus, you haven't touched a football in 18 months. Then you are expected to go at it with players who are worth £50million, £70m in the Premier League.' Brooks' diagnosis was stage two Hodgkin lymphoma, a form of blood cancer. It was detected by the Welsh national team's medical staff when he reported symptoms including night sweats, weight loss and difficulty sleeping. He had noticed his running stats were depreciating, as well as losing body mass despite a muscle-building regimen to try to bulk up. He also felt unusually exhausted after training. A biopsy followed the intervention by the Wales medics, and then six months of chemo. Brooks' first battle was surviving, but upon receiving the all-clear from cancer, the road back to elite-level sport was only just beginning. He had lost muscle and gained weight while away. Advertisement 'During the six to 12 months of treatments, I didn't do a single piece of exercise,' Brooks says. 'I didn't do any football, any gym, any cardio, just because, obviously, you don't really feel that well to be able to do it. 'It's a lot to make up for. It's not as easy as saying: 'Well, I can run a certain amount of distance or I can run in this time'. You are so deconditioned; your muscles, your tendons. You are used to doing something for 14 years and not even thinking about it. But then, after two years out, it's probably hard enough. But add that you've had what is basically poison going around your body for six months, it's again another layer of difficulty. 'It was a frustrating period. It was just simple things; I would train, and the warm-up I could get through like normal, but I'd still be blowing out my a**e and struggling to breathe. I did a mic'd-up training session in Portugal two or three years ago. I knew I was a little bit overweight but I look back on that now and I was so overweight and not moving how I usually move. That's probably what led to me getting injured.' His hamstring popped in an under-23s game early in the 2022-23 season, and needed an operation. Did he ever wonder if he would make it back to being a Premier League player? 'It was never a doubt, up until the point I actually started trying to do it. When you're going through (chemo), I thought: 'Oh, I'll be able to get back and I'll play football again'. But then you see how deconditioned you are, and the standard of the Premier League is always going up. It's tough to say whether it got miles quicker or I was just miles slower, just brain-wise and, obviously, body-wise at that time. 'I just kept plugging away. I don't really give up, and I always hoped I could get back there, which I've managed to do.' Brooks had faced setbacks in his football career previously. He has said he was 'devastated' when, at the age of 17, he was released by Manchester City. No shortage of clubs turned the other way at the sight of a then 5ft 3in (160cm) teenager, until Sheffield United, then in League One, English football's third division, took a chance on him. He was quickly sent on loan to non-League Halifax Town, in the fifth tier, which he concedes was '100 per cent' a culture shock. Advertisement 'When I got released from City, you are in that little bubble. You think every club is like that. Going to Sheffield United was a bit of an eye-opener anyway, because their facilities were nowhere near the facilities of Manchester City. 'Then I went on loan to Halifax, which I wanted to do, to play men's football. It was very good for me, but they were training on a park pitch they used to rent. It differed from time to time; you trained at a college one day, then it would be a park the next; it's nowhere near what I was used to, but there's a lot of benefits to that. In under-21s football, if you lose, you might get a bit of a rollicking off the coach, but it doesn't really mean anything. But when you've got grown men shouting at you because their livelihoods are depending on it, it's a whole different ballgame.' Once back at Sheffield United, he developed into one of the most exciting young talents in British football. He grew to 5ft 8in and was tracked by Arsenal and Manchester United, before signing for Bournemouth, then managed by current Newcastle United head coach Eddie Howe, for £11.5million in 2018. During his first season in England's top flight, he made the PFA's six-man shortlist for Young Player of the Year, alongside Marcus Rashford, Declan Rice, Raheem Sterling, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Bernardo Silva. Brooks' progress was hampered by a serious ankle injury the next season, which ended with Bournemouth getting relegated, and illness and fitness subsequently held back his career. After that loan spell at Southampton, who won that play-off final to earn promotion, Brooks fought his way back into the Bournemouth team for periods of last season, starting the 4-1 victory at Newcastle United, a 5-0 win at home against Nottingham Forest and their 2-2 draw at Chelsea. Off the field, he has married long-term girlfriend Flora, and the couple announced on Instagram last month that they are expecting a baby girl this year. On it, he wants to make himself a mainstay of Andoni Iraola's exciting team. 'He wants high-intensity running and (for his players) to be just a nuisance all over the pitch,' Brooks says about Bournemouth's Spanish head coach. 'It is a little bit high-risk, high-reward, because when we do press and get it right, we win the ball back in very good areas and we can go and hurt opposition teams. We've grown into being more than just a pressing team. We are better on the ball now as well. It's very good, especially when you're winning. Everything tastes a little bit sweeter.' Is the style of play as fun for those on the pitch executing it as it can be to watch Bournemouth as a spectator? 'As an attacker, it's probably more hard work than other teams,' Brooks says. 'But the reward comes at the end, because you know you're running for a purpose; because if you do win it back, you've got an easier chance to score. Advertisement 'Sometimes when you've got to grind and dig in to do the running, it's not exactly fun running around at high intensity for 90 minutes, but it only takes one chance to nick it and you're in, and you can score a goal that trumps the opponent's whole plan. When we win it high in the final third, it is an express-yourself zone to try and create something.' Bournemouth were in the United States this summer, competing in the Premier League's Summer Series. Brooks, who missed Wales' involvement in the 2022 World Cup due to his illness, is hoping to be back there to participate in next year's edition, which will be hosted across the U.S., Canada and Mexico. Wales are currently second in their qualification group at the halfway stage, a point behind North Macedonia, although third-placed Belgium are three points adrift of the Welsh with two games in hand on them both. 'It would mean everything to me (to play at a World Cup),' he says. 'When you look back on your career, you want to play in the biggest games on the biggest stage. 'I know it will be a tough ask, as we have got a tough group (and only the winners qualify automatically). In 2022, if I was OK and fit, I would have been there. So it was a little bit disappointing. I went out to watch one of the games, see the lads and support them. So I experienced it a bit. But an American one will be bigger and better.' Spot the pattern. 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Yahoo
13 hours ago
- Yahoo
VAR Decision in Liverpool vs Bournemouth Disputed by Former Referee
Liverpool Begin Campaign With Win but Referee Calls Spark Debate Opening day drama at Anfield Liverpool launched their Premier League title defence with a 4-2 victory over Bournemouth, a scoreline that reflected attacking firepower but not full control. Arne Slot's side surged to an important win in their first match of the 2025-26 campaign, yet moments in the contest left both fans and pundits with questions. There were flashes of vulnerability. Milos Kerkez and Ibrahima Konate both struggled and almost invited Bournemouth back into the contest. The resilience of the wider squad ensured Liverpool emerged with maximum points, but the performance left room for improvement as the season progresses. Controversy over handball decision The match was shaped not only by goals but by officiating. In the first 15 minutes, Marcos Sensi was involved in a handball incident that drew widespread scrutiny. The ball struck his thigh before rolling onto his hand, and VAR quickly dismissed any offence. On Sky Sports' Ref Watch, former striker Jay Bothroyd was blunt in his assessment. 'To me that's rubbish [that Sensi's handball wasn't a clear and obvious offence], if you're talking about the one with his elbow, that could be seen as accidental,' he said. 'But the one where he's reached for the ball and touched the ball with his hand, you see that the ball has come away from his hand, so obviously he's touched it, that's the one where he's clearly gone for the ball, and that's why it should be a red card.' Former Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher, also present, admitted VAR had acted hastily. 'I think they're just repeating what VAR said because the VAR cleared it, I was watching the game and VAR said 'it's not a handball offence because it's come off his thigh onto his elbow' which is never going to be hand ball, but he hasn't looked for the swipe. 'I think he clearly looked at it too quickly.' Such moments highlight the ongoing debate around technology, interpretation, and consistency in refereeing, themes that continue to shadow the Premier League. Expectations for Liverpool this season Slot enters this campaign carrying the weight of high expectations. The club invested over £250 million across the summer to bolster their squad, a figure that demands results both domestically and in Europe. While opening-day wins are valuable, the scrutiny lies in performances, and Liverpool cannot afford to drift below their own standards. Photo IMAGO The Champions League looms, and consistency is paramount. Liverpool must be sharper in possession, stronger defensively, and more ruthless in closing matches. For all the positives of their victory over Bournemouth, the defensive lapses and moments of sloppiness cannot persist if silverware is to follow. Decisions ahead in the transfer market As deadline day approaches, Liverpool's strategy remains in focus. Harvey Elliott's future is a subject of speculation, and any potential departure will depend on new arrivals. Targets such as Alexander Isak and Marc Guehi remain in discussions, though the club face challenges in concluding those moves. If reinforcements fail to materialise, retaining squad depth becomes essential. With four competitions on the horizon, Slot will need every option available. Given the scale of recent changes, stability may serve Liverpool as much as further signings. The season has begun with victory and promise, but with refereeing debates, defensive frailties, and squad decisions still unresolved, the coming weeks will test Liverpool's resolve.
Yahoo
14 hours ago
- Yahoo
Jeremie Frimpong's Pace Promises New Edge for Liverpool This Season
Liverpool's New Weapon: Jeremie Frimpong's Speed Sets the Tone Early impact at Anfield Liverpool's recruitment team were praised for their sharp work in May, securing Jeremie Frimpong from Bayer Leverkusen after triggering his £29.5 million release clause. The Dutch international has wasted little time in showing why Arne Slot was so keen to bring him to Anfield. Following a lively pre-season, Frimpong has slotted straight into Liverpool's first eleven. His debut against Bournemouth gave an early glimpse of the qualities he brings. While not a mirror image of Trent Alexander-Arnold in terms of passing range and vision, the 24-year-old offers different assets that could be just as valuable to Slot's system. Speed as a game-changing factor Frimpong's defining feature is his speed. What he lacks in the pinpoint creativity of Alexander-Arnold, he more than compensates for in raw dynamism. His ability to surge down the right flank at pace adds a new dimension to Liverpool's attacking play. TNT Sports highlighted that the full-back recorded the fastest top speed of the match against Bournemouth, hitting 36.1 km/h. For a debut outing, it was a statement of intent. Supporters at Anfield saw a defender who can stretch opponents, recover defensively with ease, and turn defence into attack in seconds. Comparing pace across the Premier League Speed has become one of the most valuable currencies in modern football, and Frimpong has already put himself into that conversation. BBC Sport confirmed that Tottenham's Micky van de Ven posted the fastest time across the Premier League last season, clocking 37.1 km/h. Frimpong's debut sprint does not yet place him in the division's top five speeds, but the context matters. He has only played one league game in Liverpool colours so far, and with more opportunities to showcase his acceleration, he is likely to climb those rankings before the season's conclusion. Slot's new-look Liverpool now boast pace across both flanks. With Milos Kerkez offering width and energy down the left, the Reds look equipped to stretch defences in ways they could not last term. It is a tactical evolution that makes them more unpredictable and dangerous. Role in Liverpool's title defence Slot's side enter this season as defending champions, and the expectations could hardly be higher. Frimpong's arrival represents not only investment but also a statement of intent. His speed ensures Liverpool can transition rapidly, while his work rate provides balance in both phases of play. Liverpool's ability to integrate summer recruits will determine how smoothly they defend their crown. Frimpong has already shown that he can thrive under pressure, and his combination of pace and determination offers the kind of weaponry that can turn matches in the most demanding environments. It would surprise few if Frimpong forces his way into the list of the Premier League's fastest players by the end of the season. For Liverpool, his influence is already clear.
