Dean Windass has made a heartfelt plea to his son Josh ahead of Wrexham’s FA Cup clash with Nottingham Forest.
Hull City legend Dean Windass has sincerely implored his son Josh to get in touch (Image: Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA/Getty Images)
Ahead of Wrexham’s FA Cup clash with Nottingham Forest, manager Dean Windass made a heartbreaking public statement about his son Josh’s 32nd birthday, saying he was “heartbroken” after not being able to contact him. Hull City legend Dean took to social media on Friday to pray for Josh to win ahead of a third-round tie at the Racecourse Grounds, but his message quickly turned into an emotional appeal for people to contact his son.
Posting on X, he wrote: “Wishing Josh a very happy 32nd birthday. From a very proud dad, good luck tonight in the FA Cup against Nottingham Forest. Oh dear. Life is too short Josh, this is breaking my heart. Please get in touch.”
Josh is expected to feature at Wrexham as they host Premier League opponents Forest, hoping the Red Dragons can pull off another famous upset in the cup. Dean, 56, has been a cult hero at Hull since scoring one of the club’s most iconic goals in the 2008 Championship play-off final at Wembley.
Since retiring, he has remained a popular figure in the game, appearing regularly on television as a pundit and speaking candidly about life after football. It was revealed in January last year that the former Premier League striker had been diagnosed with dementia, and he has since admitted that he is terrified of the condition.
However, it later emerged that Josh did not know about his father’s diagnosis until a teammate at Sheffield Wednesday happened to tell him about it.
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Speaking to The Sun in March 2025, Josh said: “I found out about it in a coffee shop. Max[Lowe]said, ‘I’m sorry to hear about your dad’s dementia,’ and I thought, ‘Oh, that’s news to me.’
Josh appeared not to be in regular contact at the time, adding that he spoke “every once in a while” to his brother, who was watching over Dean. She also said that despite the diagnosis, her father still knew her name and was “in good spirits.”
Dean Windass made an emotional appeal to his son Josh on social media (Image: X/DWindass10)
Since then, Dean has become a vocal advocate for raising awareness about dementia and the dangers of heading football, and has spoken openly about the mental toll it has taken on him. Meanwhile, Josh is focused on his career at Wrexham after joining the ambitious Welsh club last summer.
The former Sheffield Wednesday and Rangers forward has been a key figure in Wrexham’s bid to establish themselves at Championship level, contributing seven goals and four assists since joining. Speculation over Josh’s future emerged in December, with reports suggesting interest from Rangers, where he spent two seasons north of the border.
Dean himself seemed to confirm these rumors in a cryptic social media post, emphasizing how closely he continues to monitor his son’s career. Despite their strained relationship, Dean has spoken in the past about the overwhelming pride he felt watching Josh play for the Scottish giants, and described an emotional moment at Ibrox that left him in tears.
Wrexham star Josh Windass first learned of his father’s dementia diagnosis through a teammate (Image: Getty Images)
“When I went to watch Glasgow Rangers play for the first time, I was the proudest man. When I scored at Wembley, people said my dad was the proudest man in Hull. I thought, ‘Oh, whatever.’ Now I realize, my dad’s not here anymore.”
“I think it was the Aberdeen game when they played at Ibrox and when I went there they started singing Penny Arcade and it was… I’m a crybaby and I had tears in my eyes.
“I was so proud to see my son move to one of the biggest clubs in the country with probably the best fan base you will ever meet in your life.”
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