DEAN WINDASS has been diagnosed with dementia aged 55.
Windass earned legendary status at boyhood club Hull and also played in the Premier League with Bradford and Middlesbrough.
Kenny Ramsay – The Sun GlasgowDean Windass has been diagnosed with Stage 2 dementia aged 55[/caption]
Windass scored the winning goal for Hull to fire them into the Premier League in 2008Getty Images – Getty
BBCDavid May revealed the health update on BBC Breakfast with permission from Windass[/caption]
He famously fired the Tigers into the top flight with his 2008 play-off final wondergoal volley aged 39.
Windass initially retired in 2009 before brief comebacks over the next three years.
But now still only in his mid-50s, he has recently received the shock news on his health.
May, 54, appeared on BBC Breakfast on Friday morning alongside Nobby Stiles’ son John.
The former Manchester United and Blackburn defender 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.”
The news about Windass came as a shock to football fans.
But May reassured followers on X he had been given permission from the player himself to share the update.
May tweeted: “FYI I spoke to @DWindass10 last night and asked his permission.
“He was 100 per cent behind me mentioning that he had been diagnosed with stage 2 dementia.
“Deano has just done an article for a national newspaper which will be published soon.. share the love.”
Windass retweeted May’s post and another message of support which read: “I’m so sorry to hear that Deano @DWindass10. My mum had Alzheimer’s and vascular dementia.
“Keep doing what you’re doing mate, stay active body and mind my friend and of course you’ve got the Yorkshire grit, fighting spirit and great support.”
Then the ex-Hull forward – dad of Sheffield Wednesday star Josh Windass – posted a video from his car smiling and miming along to Glen Campbell’s song Rhinestone Cowboy.
He captioned the clip: “Just got to keep smiling and trying to help people.”
May was discussing the additional risk professional footballers have of developing dementia.
Is it ageing or dementia?
Dementia – the most common form of which is Alzheimer’s – comes on slowly over time.
As the disease progresses, symptoms can become more severe.
But at the beginning, the symptoms can be subtle or mistaken for normal memory issues related to ageing.
The US National Institute on Aging gives some examples of what is considered normal forgetfulness in old age, and dementia disease.
You can refer to these above.
For example, it is normal for an ageing person to forget which word to use from time-to-time, but difficulting having conversation would be more indicative of dementia.
Katie Puckering, Head of Alzheimer’s Research UK’s Information Services team, previously told The Sun: “We quite commonly as humans put our car keys somewhere out of the ordinary and it takes longer for us to find them.
“As you get older, it takes longer for you to recall, or you really have to think; What was I doing? Where was I? What distracted me? Was it that I had to let the dog out? And then you find the keys by the back door.
“That process of retrieving the information is just a bit slower in people as they age.
“In dementia, someone may not be able to recall that information and what they did when they came into the house.
“What may also happen is they might put it somewhere it really doesn’t belong. For example, rather than putting the milk back in the fridge, they put the kettle in the fridge.”
He added: “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.
“I’ve got a family to look after and I don’t want my children looking after me day in day out.
“Care does cost a lot of money. Is there enough to care for future generations?
“One in three [footballers have the] possibility of getting dementia.
“The message needs to get out there.”
Action Images – ReutersFootball – Stock 92/93 – 10/10/92 Dean Windass – Hull City Mandatory Credit: Action Images FILM[/caption]
GettyScorer of the winning goal, Dean Windass of Hull City celebrates on the final whistle after winning the Coca Cola Football League Championship Play off Final and gaining promotion to the Premier League (Photo by AMA/Corbis via Getty Images)[/caption] Creator – [#item_custom_dc:creator]
