Chris Mepham believes Wales team-mate David Brooks is determined to show that he can flourish at the top level after beating cancer.
Brooks was diagnosed with stage-two Hodgkin lymphoma in October 2021 and underwent intensive treatment before announcing in May 2022 that he was cancer-free.
The 28-year-old forward did not play for Bournemouth for 18 months after the effect the illness took on his body, and Brooks spent the second half of the 2023-24 season on loan at Southampton.
Brooks helped Saints win promotion to the Premier League through the Championship play-offs before returning to Bournemouth, where he was usually used off the bench last season until his eye-catching displays this term.
“He’s getting back to his best, which is exciting for everyone to see,” said centre-back Mepham, a long-time Cherries colleague of Brooks until his move to West Brom last month.
“He hasn’t had the load that other players have had because of his health problem.
“So he’s probably even more hungry than ever to prove a point to everyone and to show he has still got all the ability.
“He just needs to stay fit and carry on showcasing it.
“I thought he was Bournemouth’s best player in pre-season and he has carried that on. There have never been any question marks around his ability, the only concerns have been about his fitness.”
Mepham and Brooks were both involved as Wales won 1-0 in Kazakhstan on Thursday to top their World Cup qualifying group.
Wales take a break from World Cup action in a friendly against Canada at Swansea on Tuesday, but Mepham admits making next summer’s finals is their focus after disappointment in Qatar three years ago.
Having ended their 64-year wait to play at a World Cup, Wales went home early with only one point and one goal from three games.
Mepham said: “I think I speak on behalf of everyone that Qatar was a missed opportunity.
“The hard work was getting there and it was a collective regret that we didn’t make an impact out there.
“The consensus coming away from Qatar was that not many players left their all out there.
“It plays on your mind and leaves question marks about whether you will get an opportunity to play there again.
“We need to make sure that if and when we qualify for the World Cup we are in a really strong position. All these camps and games are building up to that.”
