Former professional footballer Dean Windass has opened up about his battle with dementia, revealing the ‘scariest moment’. Speaking to the Mirror about his stage two dementia diagnosis, he shared that he had kept the news private for a year but insisted: “I’m all right. I’m not dying.”
The forward, who scored the most famous goal in Hull City’s history, propelling the Tigers to their first-ever promotion to the top flight in 2008, decided to speak out to help others. “My phone has gone mad because everyone thinks I’m dying. I’m not dying. I’m all right,” he said. “My son text to ask if I was okay.”
He admitted his concerns, saying: “Of course I’m worried, I’m not being naive, I don’t want Kerry looking after me.”
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But Dean, father to Josh, 31, and Jordan, 24, reassured: “I’m honestly fine. I’m not dying. I could walk out my front door and get run over. People don’t need to worry about me, it’s fine.”, reports the Mirror.
He added:”I don’t know what’s going to happen in five years or tomorrow. I just get on with it.”
Discussing his diagnosis, he explained how he forgets names and things his partner Kerry tells him. Eventually, he sought scans after reaching out to John Stiles, the son of 1966 England World Cup hero Nobby Stiles.
Manchester United icon Stiles passed away in 2020 at the age of 78 after a long battle with dementia. His son has since become an advocate for change within the sport.
Dean revealed: “Obviously because I’ve headed footballs there’s some sort of bleeding on my brain. It’s shown something. I went into the big machine.”
He continued, detailing his diagnosis: “We went for these scans last year and that was the diagnosis they gave me, stage two dementia. I asked if there was any problem and they said ‘no, but they don’t know what’s going to happen tomorrow.” He told how John Stiles had offered him guidance last year and sent a lady around his home to do some memory tests.
Dean also shared how John Stiles had been a pillar of support, sending help to assess his memory: “He actually sent a lady round to my house for two days and she put me through some tests and I started crying because I got real frustrated because I couldn’t do it.”
He described one particular test that proved challenging: “Basically it was like a test to say ‘television and bus’… there were 20 words opposite each other. And then she’d say repeat what I just said now and I couldn’t remember it and I was getting so frustrated about it.
“That did upset me, that frustrated me because I couldn’t remember. I didn’t know if it was the fact I was thick or what,” he said, managing to find humour in his situation.
Reflecting on his career, Dean believes the sheer number of balls he has headed is significant: “I have headed thousands and thousands of footballers over a 20 year career. It was training every day, and part of my game was heading the ball anyway. I was doing a thousand balls a week easy.”
He recounted the chilling moment he was asked to do a Zoom call for his CT scan results from last year, saying: “The scariest thing was when they rang me to say ‘we’ve got your results,’ they said ‘ can you do a zoom call’. I said to Kerry my partner something must be up. So I phoned John Stiles.”
He admitted not recalling the Zoom call itself: “I can’t remember doing the Zoom call, that’s the worst thing. I live day to day anyway. But the most important thing is to listen. I’m okay, I’m not dying.”
He stressed the broader issue at hand: “The moral of the story is, it’s not about me, it’s about John Stiles and the lads trying to get over ‘can the PFA help these families…if they’re in a home and these people can’t afford to put them in a home.”
Highlighting the financial strain on families, he added: “It’s damaging people’s families financially. It’s important because these people need help.” To calm concerned friends and fans, he shared a light-hearted update on social media: “To be fair, I’m more than fine because I didn’t even know I had a brain.”
Caroline Scates, Deputy Director of Admiral Nurse Development, said: “We’re sorry to hear that Dean Windass has been diagnosed with dementia. By choosing to speak openly and publicly about his diagnosis, he will undoubtedly encourage others to seek support if they are concerned about symptoms they may be experiencing.
“There are estimated to be around 70,800 people living with young onset dementia in the UK – where symptoms occur before the age of 65. Obtaining a diagnosis of young onset dementia can be challenging, and it is often even harder to find age-appropriate support. But it is important to know that you are not alone and that expert care is available.
“We encourage anyone affected by young onset dementia to visit dementiauk.org/get-support for information resources and to find out how to access our national Helpline and Clinics services.”