Dean Windass will be remembered as the man who scored the goal that sent Hull City to the Premier League, but his life away from the pitch has been anything from easy.
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 most known for his memorable goal against Bristol City in the 2008 Championship play-off final.
Windass, then 39, scored the match’s only goal with a stunning volley, propelling his boyhood club into the Premier League. Hull will look to emulate Windass’ moment of brilliance when they meet Middlesbrough in this year’s Wembley final on Saturday. His eldest son, Josh, has followed in his father’s footsteps by pursuing a football career, and he has thrived since moving to Wrexham last summer.
Off the pitch, Dean has openly revealed his dementia diagnosis and the closeness he has with his two sons. Here is a closer look at the play-off final icon’s life outside of the sport.
Dementia diagnosis.
In January 2025, Windass was diagnosed with stage two dementia. Former Manchester United defender David May revealed the news on BBC Breakfast after Windass granted him permission to address his condition.
John Stiles, son of 1966 World Cup winner Nobby Stiles and a member of Football Families for Justice, urged the former Middlesbrough and Bradford City striker to have a scan. After receiving an early-stage dementia diagnosis, Windass has openly discussed his coping strategies.”They’ve said I could be like this for a half-decade,
a decade, or it could deteriorate,” he told The Guardian. “I’m not thrilled about it; I wish they’d stated I was fine so we wouldn’t be having this debate now. But look, I could get run over by a bus tomorrow.”
The retired centre-forward attributed his diagnosis to a career spent heading footballs. He suggested reducing heading drills in training to lower the likelihood of players developing dementia later in life.When I received the diagnosis, they asked me how many footballs I had headed,” Windass explained. “It wasn’t the actuality of matchday; it was the crossing and finishing exercises we did every day. “Or for center-halves, heading as far as they could.”After each session, I’d finish it, either by heading it in or volleying it if it was crossed in. I didn’t think anything of it. You couldn’t think of dementia then, but we can now. So let’s see if we can halt it at the source and mitigate the harm.”
Plea to Wrexham star Josh Windass
Earlier this year, Dean revealed that he had lost contact with both of his boys and issued a public appeal to Wrexham midfielder Josh to contact them. When reflecting on their damaged relationship, he said that failing to inform his children about his dementia diagnosis was the core cause.”I don’t speak to my two kids now, but it’s probably 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 well-known among the public.I was trying to do the right thing, but it has backfired on me and is breaking my heart. I posted on Twitter, ‘Please get in touch, Josh’, due to recent events that are causing me distress.One and a half million people saw it,
but I assumed that was the only way I could contact him because he was not answering the phone. “I’m not sure where he lives; he’s moved to Wrexham.”My youngest son no longer speaks to me due to various circumstances, thus neither do my other two children. I wonder, ‘What have I done that’s so bad? “I am not that bad.”
He went on to say, “Josh is now very prosperous, with a wife and my grandchild. I haven’t seen my granddaughter in a year, and it hurts. I saw Brooklyn Beckham in the paper the other day and thought, ‘Life’s too short. So, if Josh watches this, please call me because he’s my little boy.”
Dean had sent an impassioned note to his son Josh on his 32nd birthday earlier that month, imploring him to contact him. On the football, the Wrexham star prospered in his debut season, scoring 15 goals in 41 league appearances from midfield as Phil Parkinson’s side came just short of a play-off spot.
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