Dean Windass: Ex-Middlesborough, Bradford and Hull City striker "scared" by dementia diagnosis

The cult hero striker, who scored 198 goals over a career that spanned two decades, was diagnosed with stage two dementia last year, and is committed to turning his situation into a force for good.

Since his diagnosis, the 55-year-old has called for increased support for footballers with dementia and their families, urged the Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) to be more proactive and highlighted the lack of progress in footballing circles around supporting ex-players with neurodegenerative diseases,

But in an interview with BBC’s Newsnight this week (March 11), his positive facade seemed to be somewhat cracked as he spoke frankly about his condition.

Speaking to presenter Victoria Derbyshire, Windass said: “It scares me. I don’t know what the outcome’s going to be. Interview me in 10 years’ time and I might tell you a different story.

“There’s nothing I can do. You can’t roll back the years, so you’ve just got to deal with it as much as you can. Hopefully, in the next five or 10 years it doesn’t develop. It might do, but it might not. So, you get up in the morning and you live. You try to live your life as normal.

“If they’d said [when playing] that in 10 years’ time you might have a shade of dementia. I’d go ‘well I’m not heading that ball then’. I wouldn’t have done that as much in training.”

A 2019 study by Glasgow University found that footballers are more than three times more likely to be diagnosed with dementia, which is largely attributed to heading the ball. It has led to conversations around whether heading should be allowed in the modern game, and some countries banning it at youth and grassroots levels.

Windass, who made his debut for Hull City in 1991, is the second-oldest goalscorer in Premier League history, netting for the Tigers in 2008 against Portsmouth. He was 39 years old at the time, returning to the club after stints at Oxford United, Middlesborough and Bradford City, among others.

Ex-footballer David May was the one who announced Windass’ diagnosis on BBC Breakfast last year. He said: “When I asked Deano if I could mention it, I didn’t think it’d go as viral as what it has done. In a way, it’s an absolute blessing because other people can benefit from Deano coming out and speaking about it.

“He’s talking about 10 or 15 years from now, he wants some reassurances that in 10 or 15 years’ time those plans are being put in place, so he doesn’t have to rely on his family and that there will be carers to help him.”