JOSH WINDASS revealed he only found out about his dad’s dementia from a Sheffield Wednesday team-mate while they were in a coffee shop.
The attacking midfielder, 31, was oblivious that Hull and Bradford legend Dean Windass had been diagnosed with the condition until Owls defender Max Lowe unwittingly broke the news.
Josh Windass reckons his dad being ‘a bit of a nutter’ helps make him popular[/caption]
Dean Windass, a cult hero with fans, has been diagnosed with dementia[/caption]
And Windass told SunSport: “I found out in a coffee shop. Max said, ‘Sorry to hear about your dad’s dementia’ and I thought, ‘Oh! That’s news to me!’”
His dad’s diagnosis at the age of 55 was publicly revealed by former Manchester United and Blackburn star David May during a TV interview, with Windass’ blessing.
It sparked an outpouring of love and support for one of the biggest English football characters of the 1990s and 2000s, who has more recently been a Sky Sports pundit.
Windass Jr said: “He’s well loved within the football community. He’s a bit of a nutter and people like that about people.
“I don’t think he’s struggling too badly. I speak sometimes to my brother, who is keeping tabs on him. He’s sound.
“When news like this comes out people always think the worst. But it’s not a severe grade at the minute and he’s not having too many problems.
“The first thing I asked was if he still knew my name and he did, so I didn’t ask him too many questions.”
Windass Jr is chasing a second promotion with Sheffield Wednesday[/caption]
His dad did a national TV interview this week where he raised concerns about the perils of heading a football, which has been proven to increase the risk of developing the disease, and fears for his own son’s safety.
Windass Jr scored the winning goal at Wembley with his head to clinch Wednesday’s promotion from League One in the play-off final against Barnsley in May 2023.
And the Owls ace himself is passionate about raising awareness on how to prevent suffering from such conditions in later life.
Research shows adopting a healthy, balanced diet can reduce the risk of dementia.
Windass has a strict diet plan and last season enlisted the help of Tyson Fury’s nutritionist, Sheffield-based Greg Marriott, to help his recovery from an injury.
And he said: “You don’t want anyone getting dementia or any other illness.
“You want everyone on the planet to be healthy in an ideal world so it’s important to raise awareness to help people prevent it.
“Even things like eating healthily. It’s not just for making you look good at the beach, it’s great for your lifestyle and health.
“It’s something me and my missus speak a lot about — curriculums in schools, people don’t get taught enough about diet or illness and stuff like that. There needs to be more focus.
“A lot of the stuff that gets people excited are the things you probably shouldn’t do such as drinking alcohol and eating bad food.
“There’s a time and a place for that but it’s important to raise your kids especially to drink water, eat fruit and vegetables.
“When you’re 50, I’ve seen people who go on all these diets and things — but by that point it’s a bit late.
“I’m on the side of the fence that you can have a good time but our bodies are more important. People don’t take care of themselves as much as they should.”
Windass even believes that a good diet could help stem the increase of mental illness cases that have been highlighted in recent years.
He said: “If you’re eating and drinking things that are going to damage your brain then you’re not going to be the happiest person in the world.
“If you can do little things that can help make you feel a bit better, you’re going to be happier and healthier.”
Windass certainly would have been feeling more jubilant after scoring his first goal since New Year’s Day by snatching the all-important equaliser at Norwich on Tuesday as Wednesday roared back from 2-0 down to win 3-2.
It was a crucial three points, hauling Danny Rohl’s men back into the play-off picture — and moving them to within just five points of the top six.
Windass is set to feature in Sunday’s Steel City derby when bitter rivals Sheffield United make the three-and-half-mile trek across town to Hillsborough.
That Wembley goal was nice — but a League One promotion isn’t something I talk about too much as it’s not such a big achievement.”
Josh Windass
He has always thought the Owls needed to still be in the mix by the final whistle of the derby clash to stand a chance.
Windass has scored 11 goals this season with nine games left — and he said: “I felt at the start I needed to score 15 from midfield for the team to have a successful season.”
One of those strikes was a 60-yard worldie against Derby — which will surely win the goal of the season gong at the EFL awards.
It was so good that pundits Paul Merson and Clinton Morrison rated it better than the famous one David Beckham scored from the halfway line for Manchester United against Wimbledon in 1996.
It sparked a January bid from Brazilian club Santos — which was rejected.
But Windass said: “I scored a better one last year against Blackburn!”
He has been at Hillsborough for five years and is firmly established as a cult hero for his play-off winner — but he would dearly love to see the Yorkshire club win promotion to the Premier League.
Windass said: “I guess that Wembley goal was nice — but a League One promotion isn’t something I talk about too much because it’s not such a big achievement.”
A play-off final winner this year certainly would be.
