Dean Windass’ devastating health diagnosis and emotional message to son | Football | Sport
Hull City legend Dean Windass has spoken about his diagnosis (Image: Getty Images)
Hull City legend Dean Windass has previously spoken openly about his devastating dementia diagnosis and strained relationship with Wrexham star son Josh. The 57-year-old is best remembered for the iconic goal he scored against Bristol City in the 2008 Championship play-off final.
Windass, then aged 39, netted the match’s only goal with a memorable volley to propel his boyhood club into the Premier League. Hull will be hoping to recreate Windass’ moment of brilliance when they face Middlesbrough in this year’s Wembley final on Saturday. His eldest son, Josh, has followed in his father’s footsteps by forging a football career and has flourished since his move to Wrexham last summer.
Off the pitch, Dean has discussed frankly his dementia diagnosis and the bond he shares with his two sons. Here is a closer examination of the play-off final icon’s life away from the sport.
In January 2025, it was revealed that Windass had been diagnosed with stage two dementia. The news was disclosed by former Manchester United defender David May on BBC Breakfast after Windass granted him permission to discuss his condition.
The former Middlesbrough and Bradford City striker had been persuaded to undergo a scan by John Stiles, son of 1966 World Cup winner Nobby Stiles, who works with Football Families for Justice. Windass has since spoken openly about how he is coping with dementia, having received an early-stage diagnosis.
“They’ve said I could be like this for half a decade, a decade, or it could deteriorate,” he explained to The Guardian. “I’m not happy about it; I wish they’d said I was all clear and then we wouldn’t be having this conversation now. But look, I could go out and get run over by a bus tomorrow.”
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The retired centre-forward partly put his diagnosis down to a career spent heading footballs. He called for a reduction of heading drills in training to lessen the risk of players developing dementia later in life.
“When I got the diagnosis they asked me how many footballs I headed,” Windass said. “It’s not the fact of matchday, it was those crossing and finishing drills every day. Or for centre-halves, heading it as far as they could.
“After every session I’d do some finishing, head it in or volley it if they cross it in. I thought nothing of it. You couldn’t think about dementia then, but now we can. So let’s see if we can stop it at source now and reduce the damage.”
Dean has spoken about his relationship with his son Josh Windass, who is a key player for Wrexham (Image: MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Plea to Wrexham star Josh Windass
Earlier this year, Dean disclosed that he had lost contact with both his sons and made a public appeal for Wrexham midfielder Josh to reach out. Reflecting upon their broken relationship, he acknowledged that failing to inform his children about his dementia diagnosis was the root cause.
“I don’t speak to my two kids now, but probably because it’s my own fault as well…not telling them about the diagnosis because I didn’t want to worry them,” Windass told the Clutch 9 podcast in January. “Josh is in the public eye.
“I was trying to do the right thing but then it’s backfired on me and it’s breaking my heart. I put a post on Twitter the other day about, ‘please get in touch, Josh’ because of what’s gone on and it’s killing me.
“One and a half million viewers saw it, but I thought it’s the only way I can get in contact because he’s not answering the phone. I don’t know where lives, he’s moved to Wrexham.
“My youngest son doesn’t talk to me now because of other things that have gone on so my two kids don’t talk to me. I think, ‘What have I done that’s that bad? I’m not that bad.'”
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He continued: “Josh is very successful now and has got a wife and my granddaughter. I haven’t seen my granddaughter for a year and it hurts. I look at Brooklyn Beckham in the paper the other day and think, ‘Life’s too short’. So if Josh does watch this, please ring me, because he’s my little boy.”
Earlier that month, Dean had penned an emotional message for his son Josh’s 32nd birthday, urging him to make contact. On the pitch, the Wrexham star thrived during his maiden season, netting 15 goals in 41 league appearances from midfield as Phil Parkinson’s squad narrowly fell short of securing a play-off position.
