It is now three years since Brooks emotionally returned to the Premier League in March 2023, when he came off the bench to applause from all four sides of the ground at Aston Villa.
There was a loan spell with Southampton before re-establishing himself at the Vitality, earning a new four-year deal a few months back.
“I thought he was Bournemouth’s best player in pre-season and he carried that on when the season started,” adds Mepham, with Brooks now remarkably looking like he’s never been away rather than missed almost two years of top-flight football.
“There have never been any question marks around his ability, the only concerns have been about his fitness, but his running data in games was a lot higher than before.”
It would have to be, given the style of Bournemouth’s approach under Andoni Iraola, both the Cherries and Craig Bellamy’s Wales sharing an intensity to the way they want to play.
There is an effectiveness too. Brooks is fifth highest in the Premier League for expected assists averaged over 90 minutes, and in the top 10 for carries with the ball that result in a chance.
“I think he’s really stepped up,” says former Bournemouth and Wales Under 21 defender Joe Partington, part of the BBC Solent team that regularly cover the Cherries.
“You can see the influence he has on and off the pitch – he’s been captain and you don’t get that if the manager doesn’t have real faith in what you can do as a player.
“I think it would have been natural for people to wonder if he would reach the levels again, but he’s done that and when you think about it, it’s incredible.”
A sentiment agreed with wonderment by Kieffer Moore, another former Bournemouth team-mate who also shared Wales’ Euro 2020 dressing room with Brooks.
“He’s gone from strength to strength – remarkable, really, given what his body and mind have been through,” says the Wrexham striker.