HARRY Wilson revealed how the Wales dressing room serenaded David Brooks with “his song” after the Cherries midfielder scored his first international goal since beating cancer.

Brooks was diagnosed with stage-two Hodgkin lymphoma in October 2021 while on Wales duty.

The 26-year-old announced he was cancer-free in May last year, but it has been a long road back to form and fitness as Brooks’ body took time to recover from the full effects of the disease.

So it was no surprise the entire Wales squad wildly celebrated the stoppage time goal that Brooks scored to seal a 2-0 European Championship qualifying victory over Latvia on Monday.

It was Brooks’ first Wales goal since scoring the winner in a Nations League tie against the Republic of Ireland in November 2020.

“When the news broke that he had his illness we were on camp and it hit us hard,” Wilson said after the Riga success.

“He’s a big part of the group. He’s been my room mate for years and it was tough for us all.

“To see how strong he’s been through it all, how he’s come back and regained his fitness. He’s had setbacks along the way and picked up a few injuries.

“His body was completely shut down for a while and it’s going to happen, but it’s how he’s dealt with those setbacks.

“Now he’s fully fit he showed his quality at the end. At that moment in the game a lot of players would have snatched at that chance, but he was so calm to wait for the keeper to go down and just lifted it over him.”

Wales supporters are used to belting out the ‘Brooks will tear you apart again’ song to the tune of Joy Division’s ‘Love Will Tear You Apart’ in tribute to him.

Wilson, who spent the 2019-20 season on loan at Cherries, said: “The other day when he came on against South Korea the fans must have sang his song for a good 15 to 20 minutes.

“They were singing it again at the end when we went to them to show our appreciation.

“I think he must have done an interview so he was the last one back in the dressing room.

“We had it going as well and I think it shows what a massive member of this group he’s been and how much he’s been missed over the couple of years he’s been out of the squad.”

Wales’s win – only their second in 14 games – has put them back in the mix for a top-two spot and automatic qualification.

They have drawn level with Armenia on seven points and trail Croatia and Turkey by three.