Dean Windass has revealed he was diagnosed with stage two dementia at the age of 54.
The much-travelled, prolific former striker has told Mail Sport that he received the devastating news 12 months ago and is now taking things 'day by day'.
On a day when a group of high-profile former players launched a campaign calling on the Premier League, FA and PFA to set up a fund to cover healthcare costs for ex-players amid a growing crisis, the Hull City legend – whose dramatic 2008 play-off final strike sent the Tigers to the Premier League – decided to speak out about his own situation to raise awareness of their cause.
“I was asked if, as an ex-player, I would be willing to go for a scan,” Windass explained. 'I panicked a bit because they said it would take a few weeks for the results to come out, but then I got a text asking for a Zoom call.
'The conversation I had was that there was nothing wrong at this stage, but the scan came back as mild dementia grade two. I immediately thought, 'oh f***, what does that mean?'
Although a year has now passed, Windass, who plundered 141 goals in a career spanning nearly two decades for clubs including Aberdeen, Middlesbrough and Bradford City, admits he is still struggling to process the information.
“I can't really remember the exact words I was told,” he explained. 'I don't know how this will affect my life in the coming years. I forget names. I'm 55 now, so maybe that's just old age. I was told it was nothing to worry about at this stage and – you know me – I laughed and joked. I told them that I was happy that they had found a brain there and that that was a plus.'
Windass, whose son Josh plays for Sheffield Wednesday and whose other son Jordan has played for Oldham and Darlington, says he is taking things 'day by day'.
He added: 'They told me I had 'mild Grafe Two dementia'. I don't know the answers to how this will play out because I'm not a scientist. I worry about it and if I start to feel different or get a headache, there are people I can see. I'm a bit naive about all this. Later, a woman came to my house to do some tests, but I couldn't do it, which upset me.”
Windass, who scored his last Premier League goal at the age of 39, officially announced his retirement on October 19, 2009 and was diagnosed within 15 years of hanging.
His immediate focus is on maintaining his career after playing. “My job is an after-dinner speaker,” he explained. 'I haven't had any problems forgetting what to say in the last fifteen years. I remember Frank Worthington once giving a speech after dinner in which he told the same story. If it affects my work then there is a problem, but I hope it doesn't.'
He doesn't look too far into the future. “I don't know what's around the corner,” he said. 'I live from day to day. I forget people's names, but am I just old?'
Windass' diagnosis was initially relayed, with his consent, by former Manchester United defender David May on BBC Breakfast this morning. He says he is coming forward to help Football Families For Justice, a group backed by Mail Sport columnist Chris Sutton, campaigner and son of World Cup winner Nobby, John Stiles, and the mayors of Greater Manchester and Liverpool, Andy Burnham and Steve Rotheram.
They will propose an amendment to the Football Governance Bill in the spring that would effectively force football authorities to fund the cost of nursing homes for footballers, who are more than 3.5 times more likely to die from a neurodegenerative disease as the general public. A video showing support from David Beckham was shown at the launch in Manchester.
“We need to help these families,” Windass said. “If it gets worse for me, it's unfair to my family. Like those who died at home, they need funding and the PFA should help these people. I hope it doesn't happen to me, but if it does, they need help. These houses are expensive. We are asking the Premier League and the PFA to intervene.”
Windass has no doubts about what led to his diagnosis. “I sent football for a job,” he said. 'Not during the matches, but during training. Crossing and finishing exercises. They asked me how many times I had headed the ball in twenty years. Damn hell! Thousands and thousands of times. If it gets worse, hopefully I'll be taken care of.”
In Manchester, Beckham told a host of ex-pros, including Peter Reid, Jim Beglin and Gary McAlister, that he supported the campaign.
“As a young player at Manchester United I was privileged to be mentored and mentored by (ex-coaches) Eric Harrison, Nobby Stiles and my father's hero Sir Bobby Charlton,” Beckham said. 'Like thousands of former players, all three died of neurodegenerative diseases such as dementia. I would like to add my support to the work of John Stiles and Football Families for Justice in their campaign to meet the needs of those affected.
“We need the football family to come together and mobilize resources to tackle the tragedy of these devastating diseases. Let's ensure that victims and their families are treated with kindness, respect and the best support. I hope you will join us in ensuring a better future for our former colleagues – the many former professional footballers who brought so much joy to so many fans and their loved ones.”
A video of Sutton was also played during the event. “My father Mike passed away four years ago,” the former Celtic, Blackburn and Norwich man explained. 'He died because he headed a football. He suffered from dementia and ultimately suffered terribly from it. It was very upsetting for our entire family.
“I send this message on behalf of my family and all other families of ex-players who suffered and died in the most unimaginable ways, and the ex-players who continue to suffer from a lack of support from the football authorities.
'Let's hope that now that this group is getting support, things will actually change, because the football authorities haven't done nearly enough. I won't hold my breath, but fingers crossed that the ex-players and their families will get the support they deserve through the game. '
Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester, and Steve Rotheram, Mayor of the Liverpool City Region, hosted the event, which heard testimonies from former players, their families, MPs, medical experts and campaigners.
Stiles described the situation as “an iceberg.” 'There are 55,000 former players and the PFA expects 16,000 of them to develop dementia. This is an epidemic.'
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