Hull City legend Dean Windass has issued a heartfelt public appeal to his son Josh on his 32nd birthday, saying their lack of contact is "breaking my heart" ahead of Wrexham's FA Cup third-round clash with Nottingham Forest.
Taking to social media on Friday, the former striker wrote: "Just want to wish my Josh happy 32nd birthday. Gd luck tonight against Nottingham Forest in the FA cup from a very proud DAD. Miss yeh. Life's too short Josh, this is breaking my heart. Please get in touch." Josh is expected to feature for Wrexham as they host the Premier League side at the Racecourse Ground.
The strained relationship between the pair came to light last year when it emerged Josh had been unaware of his father's dementia diagnosis until a Sheffield Wednesday teammate mentioned it in passing. Josh later told The Sun: "I found out in a coffee shop. Max [Lowe] said, 'Sorry to hear about your dad's dementia' and I thought, 'Oh, that's news to me.'"
Dean, who scored Hull's winning goal in the 2008 Championship play-off final at Wembley, has since become an advocate for dementia awareness. He has also spoken movingly about watching Josh play for Rangers, saying: "Watching my son walking out for one of the biggest clubs in the country, with the best fanbase that you'll probably ever meet in your life - I was so proud."
Josh joined Wrexham last summer and has contributed seven goals and four assists, with reports in December linking him with a move to Rangers. Despite their distance, Dean has continued to follow his son's career closely, acknowledging the transfer speculation with a cryptic social media post.
