'There were tears, but we are looking forward to it'

BBC News

a day ago

World Cup qualifier: Wales v LiechtensteinVenue: Cardiff City Stadium Date: Friday, 6 June Kick off: 19:45 BSTCoverage: Live on BBC One Wales, S4C, iPlayer, BBC Radio Wales and Radio Cymru, the BBC Sport website and app, plus live text commentary.
David Brooks took the plaudits when Wales players were last together in March after scoring the 96th-minute equaliser in North Macedonia which preserved Craig Bellamy's unbeaten record as head coach.There were more congratulations for Brooks when the Wales squad reconvened for World Cup qualifiers against Liechtenstein and Belgium this week, but for entirely different reasons.Brooks and wife Flora revealed on social media earlier this week that they are to become parents, with their baby due on 1 November.For Brooks, who was diagnosed with cancer in 2021, the news is especially joyous given that there were questions about whether this time would ever come."I always wanted to start a family. My wife and I wanted kids at some point," the 27-year-old says."Obviously when I was diagnosed, you have those conversations and there were never any guarantees that I would be able to have children in the future. There was a chance it wouldn't have been possible."But I was really lucky that it came naturally. After my treatment things went back to normal, so of course I was really happy. There were a few tears, but we are really looking forward to it."Brooks was 24 when he was diagnosed with Stage Two Hodgkin lymphoma in October 2021.There were "dark times" for the attacking midfielder but, after several months of chemotherapy, he was declared cancer free in May 2022.He returned to first-team football with Bournemouth in March 2023 and was back in the Wales squad that summer.
A senior figure
Two years on, Brooks acknowledges that he is now one of Wales' "more senior lads".Joe Allen's retirement means another of the nation's greats has gone, while captain Aaron Ramsey is again missing from this camp due to injury.Brooks, who has 33 caps, says he relishes the responsibility that comes with being one of the more experienced players in a squad which is rebuilding having lost the likes of Allen, Chris Gunter and Gareth Bale since the 2022 World Cup."Bale is probably the best British player of all time and Joe Allen has been one of the best Welsh players of all time," he adds"They are obviously are a big miss, but there's a lot of young talent coming through and there are a lot of lads, including myself, who have been waiting for an opportunity to showcase ourselves."This is probably the first campaign we have had without them. We are all looking as a collective to try to move forward instead of it being about the special individual. I think we are doing a good job."
'It felt like a big goal'
Wales will expect to make it nine games without defeat since Bellamy took charge when the minnows of Liechtenstein visit the Cardiff City Stadium on Friday.But a sterner challenge awaits in Brussels next Monday, when Wales tackle Group J's top seeds Belgium.The unbeaten record looked set to go during the previous international camp, when North Macedonia went ahead in added time in Skopje only for Brooks to prod home his fifth international goal with almost the last kick of the game."It was not one of my best but as long as it trickles over the line, I am not too fussed," he says."If felt like a big goal in North Macedonia and it makes the table looks a lot better for us."Wales are second as things stand, behind North Macedonia on goal difference, although Belgium are yet to play a game in the group.The Red Devils go to North Macedonia on Friday before returning home to meet Wales.
In years gone by, Wales may have viewed a trip to a heavyweight nation like Belgium with some trepidation, as a fixture where a draw would be a superb result.But under Bellamy, who rejects the notion of his side being underdogs, Wales will travel with expectation rather than mere hope.Brooks echoes team-mates by describing Bellamy's approach as "intense" – but says Wales' players are hungry to deliver for their boss."He is obviously a very, very passionate guy, especially about Wales, and that can't be a negative," Brooks adds."We want to play well for him and play in his system. We have had a good base, going unbeaten so far, and now we are looking to build on that and become more of a threat and minimising our risk of conceding goals."I feel like we are on a good journey."