DETERMINED David Brooks admitted his desperation to return to the Premier League with Cherries and insisted “we will be right up there” in the Championship.

The Wales international spoke of his disappointment in seeing his second top-flight campaign significantly shortened, due to an ankle problem sustained last season.

After more than a year without a competitive game, the 23-year-old did return for Cherries during the final nine games of Project Restart.

But it proved agony for the Dorset club, after they were relegated to the second tier following a five-year stay at England’s elite level.

Warrington-born Brooks showed his quality in the Premier League when he scored seven times and registered five assists for Cherries during his breakthrough 2018-19 campaign.

And having had a taste of the top level of English football, Brooks admits he is hungry for more.

He said: “I think being in the Premier League – I had a full season and then got injured. From my point of view, it was cut a bit short for myself.

“I was disappointed I couldn’t really factor in last year, so I am desperate to get back in the Premier League and hopefully it’s with Bournemouth.

“Everyone wants to be playing at the big, nice stadiums and on the big occasions hopefully, when the crowds are back in.

“We are all working towards that and, with the squad we’ve got, we’ve got a really good chance.”

Cherries are among the favourites to win the Championship title this season, along with Brentford, Reading and fellow relegated sides Norwich and Watford.

But Brooks does not believe being fancied for success brings more pressure.

“I think if you asked any of the squad where we will be at the end of the year – I genuinely believe we will be going up and we will be in and around those one or two automatic spaces,” he added.

“I think the confidence is good. I think we are playing some nice stuff at times but we have to get used to, maybe, grinding out results and a bit more physical play.

“I think we will be right up there.”

Brooks signed for Cherries from Sheffield United for around £10million in the summer of 2018, having showcased his talent in the Championship with the Blades.

The talented playmaker still proudly pins a nutmeg on Sheffield Wednesday defender Jack Hunt on his Twitter profile during a Steel City derby, which United won 4-2 in September 2017.

He heads back to Hillsborough tomorrow with Cherries, full of fond memories from that day against the Owls.

“That game kind of skyrocketed my career really,” he added.

“It will be nice to go back but I don’t really have a massive vengeance to go back, if you know what I mean! Hopefully we can get the points.

“I can imagine I would probably get a bit of stick for playing for Sheffield United but obviously there’s no fans there.

“We will just go there, play it like any other game and we should get the three points.”