Dean Windass sends touching birthday message to his Wrexham star son as dementia-suffering former Hull City star begs for him to ‘get in touch’: ‘This is breaking my heart’

Former Premier League star Dean Windass has begged his son Josh to get in touch while wishing him happy birthday. 

The 56-year-old, whose stage two dementia diagnosis became public knowledge last year, wished the Wrexham star a happy 32nd birthday ahead of their clash with Nottingham Forest in the FA Cup tonight.

‘Just want to wish my Josh happy 32nd birthday good luck tonight against Nottingham Forest in the FA Cup from a very proud DAD miss yeh,’ Windass wrote on X. 

‘Life’s too short Josh this is breaking my heart please get in touch.’

Josh Windass revealed in an interview with the Sun last year that his dad had not told him personally about his dementia diagnosis, but that he had found out through his footballer friend Max Lowe.

‘I found out in a coffee shop,’ he said. ‘Max said, “Sorry to hear about your dad’s dementia”and I thought, “Oh! That’s news to me!”‘

He is best remembered for scoring the goal that got Hull City to the Premier League in 2008

Dean has previously spoken movingly of his pride in his son Josh. Describing what it was like to see his son play for Scottish giants Rangers between 2016 and 2018, he said: ‘When I first went to watch him at Glasgow Rangers I was the proudest man. 

‘People say when I scored the goal at Wembley that my dad was the proudest man in Hull. I went, “Yeah whatever”. I realise now. My dad’s not here anymore.

‘I think it was the Aberdeen game when they played at Ibrox. When I went there and they started singing Penny Arcade and that… I’m a cry baby, me, and I had tears in my eyes.

‘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.’

The news of Windass’ dementia was first shared by former Manchester United defender David May on BBC Breakfast, where he spoke openly about the growing concerns around the ussue in football.

May later clarified that Windass had personally given him permission to discuss the diagnosis publicly, hoping to raise awareness about the condition.

When speaking about dementia live on TV, May said: ‘I only spoke to Dean Windass yesterday, ex-professional footballer. I asked Deano how he is. He’s been diagnosed with Stage 2 dementia. He’s the same age as me and he’s worried sick of how it’s going to be in the future for him.’

Shortly after the news broke, Windass himself posted a video on social media of him singing in his car, accompanied by the caption: ‘Just got to keep smiling and trying to help people.’

Windass told Daily Mail Sport last year that he is fearful of forgetting his 2008 Championship play-off-winning goal

Stage two dementia is characterised by subtle but noticeable memory lapses, such as forgetting familiar names or phrases and misplacing everyday items like glasses or keys. While these symptoms can often be mistaken for normal aging, they mark the early signs of cognitive decline.

Windass, a prolific striker during his playing days, is best remembered for his remarkable volley in Hull City’s 2008 Championship play-off final against Bristol City, a goal that secured the club’s historic promotion to the Premier League.

He admitted to Daily Mail Sport last year: ‘That scares me. If somebody asked me about the goal at Wembley and I can’t remember, then that is a worry. Then I’ll know that it has got worse.

‘Honestly, I wish I hadn’t done the scan because then I wouldn’t have known, and we wouldn’t be talking about this now,’ says Windass. ‘I’d have just said I forget names and I am getting old.

‘I don’t want to be a burden or for anybody to feel sorry for me. I am healthy, physically. But now, I overthink things.’

Over a career spanning more than two decades, Windass also played for Aberdeen, Bradford City, and Middlesbrough, amassing over 200 goals in more than 600 appearances.

In light of his diagnosis, Windass joined a growing number of former footballers calling for greater awareness and support regarding the link between professional football and neurodegenerative diseases.

Research has suggested that repetitive head impacts sustained during football careers may increase the risk of developing conditions such as dementia, adding urgency to ongoing efforts to better understand and address this critical issue.

May also discussed the cost of care for dementia patients while on BBC Breakfast. He said: ‘Care does cost a lot of money and the money that’s going into the PFA, is it enough money to care for the future generations, who one in three have a possibility of getting dementia?’.

May went on to add: “Over my career, I probably headed the football about 20,000 times in total. It’s only coming to light now. I’d like to know where I’ll be in ten years’ time, will I have the care from the governing bodies, PFA, for funding that these families are not currently getting? It’s worrying. I’m worried, of course I am.’