Hull City legend Dean Windass has spoken openly about his heartbreaking dementia diagnosis and troubled relationship with Wrexham star son Josh. The 57-year-old, best remembered for his stunning goal in the 2008 Championship play-off final, was diagnosed with stage two dementia in January 2025.
Windass has partly attributed his condition to a career spent heading footballs, and has called for a reduction in heading drills during training to lower the risk for players. 'After every session I'd do some finishing, head it in or volley it... Let's see if we can stop it at source now and reduce the damage,' he told the Guardian.
Earlier this year, Windass revealed he had lost contact with both of his sons, and publicly appealed for Josh to reach out. On Josh's 32nd birthday, Dean posted an emotional message pleading for contact. 'I haven't seen my granddaughter for a year and it hurts... Please ring me, because he's my little boy,' he said on the Clutch 9 podcast.
The former striker admitted that keeping his dementia diagnosis from his children was the root cause of their estrangement. 'I was trying to do the right thing but then it's backfired on me and it's breaking my heart,' he added.
