Former Premier League hero Dean Windass shares painful confession about sons cutting him off and reflects on father’s death during candid interview in the UK

Crowds still remember the roar at Wembley when Dean Windass smashed Hull City into the Premier League.

For many fans, he’ll always be that fearless striker who delivered under pressure.

But these days, the biggest battle in his life isn’t happening on a pitch.

It’s happening in silence — between him and his sons.

The former Hull City cult hero has spoken candidly about the painful breakdown in his relationship with his children, admitting he doesn’t even know where his son Josh lives.

For a man who once thrived on noise, goals and big moments, that kind of quiet distance cuts deep.

A Rift That Feels Too Familiar

Speaking on the Daily Mail Sport podcast Whistleblowers with former referee Mark Clattenburg and broadcaster Gordon Smart, Windass revealed how the situation has stirred up painful memories from his own past.

Five months before his father died suddenly from a heart attack, Windass had stopped speaking to him following an argument. For 41 years, his dad had been his best mate.

Then pride, stubbornness and hurt got in the way.

When his father passed away, the guilt consumed him.

He has admitted before that the aftermath sent him spiralling — heavy drinking, isolation and even suicidal thoughts.

He later sought long-term support through Sporting Chance, the therapy service founded by Tony Adams to help sportspeople battling addiction and mental health issues.

Windass credits that support as life-changing.

Now, watching history repeat itself with his own sons feels unbearable.

“It Breaks My Heart”

Windass says he texts his children daily. He tells them he loves them.

He tries to open a door that, so far, hasn’t opened back.

He recently posted a public birthday message to his son Josh, who plays for Wrexham, urging him to get in touch.

The message was heartfelt and raw. But the silence remains.

He’s admitted that not seeing his grandchild for over a year hurts just as much.

For someone who has experienced the permanent finality of death after unresolved conflict, the fear is clear: what if time runs out again?

The Irony of Pride

There’s a complicated mix of pain and pride in Windass’s voice when he talks about Josh.

Josh Windass scored a dramatic winner at Wembley in the 2022–23 season to help Sheffield Wednesday secure promotion to the Championship — an echo of his father’s own iconic 2008 playoff winner that sent Hull City up to the Premier League.

Football has given both men defining moments. It’s something they share in their blood.

Windass has openly said he was the proudest man in the world watching his son deliver on the big stage.

He jokes that Josh’s Wembley heroics “took the heat off” him.

And beyond football, he beams about both his sons being teetotal — a path very different from his own struggles with alcohol.

The pride is real. The distance is too.

Dementia and a Diagnosis Heard Second-Hand

Windass has also revealed he is living with dementia, a diagnosis that adds another layer of urgency and vulnerability to the situation.

What made headlines recently was Josh admitting he didn’t hear about his father’s diagnosis directly from him, but from a friend in a coffee shop.

That detail alone tells you how fractured communication has become.

Dementia, which affects memory, cognition and emotional processing, can complicate family dynamics significantly.

For Windass, it seems to have sharpened his awareness of time slipping by.

When Roles Reverse

One of the most striking things Windass has said is how he now understands what it feels like to be the parent waiting for the knock at the door.

Years ago, he drove past his father’s house and debated stopping in.

Pride told him not to.

“He’s the dad,” he thought. He kept driving.

Now, he says he wants to knock on Josh’s door — but doesn’t even know where it is.

He believes his son lives somewhere in Chester or Cheshire.

That uncertainty alone says a lot about how deep the rift runs.

He doesn’t shy away from responsibility.

He speaks about it publicly, he says, because he wants to stop the same mistake being repeated.

A Career of Highs and a Life of Honest Admissions

Windass has never been afraid to show the rough edges.

Throughout his career with clubs including Hull City and others across the English leagues, he built a reputation as a fiery, emotional character.

He’s also been open about mental health long before it became common in football circles.

His work with Sporting Chance, and his willingness to talk about suicidal thoughts and addiction, have made him one of the more brutally honest former players of his generation.

This latest chapter feels like another attempt at honesty — even if it’s messy.

What’s Next?

Reconciliation in families rarely happens overnight, especially when emotions run deep and private details remain undisclosed.

But by speaking publicly, Windass may be trying to start a different kind of conversation — one that cuts through pride and silence.

Whether his sons respond privately or publicly remains to be seen. Dementia brings its own unpredictability, and time is something no one can control.

If there is to be a reunion, it may require someone to take the first step without worrying about who “should” go first.

For Windass, that lesson came too late once before.

He clearly hopes it won’t again.

Summary

Dean Windass, the former Hull City cult hero and Wembley playoff legend, has revealed the heartbreaking extent of his estrangement from his sons, including Wrexham footballer Josh Windass.

Speaking candidly about past mistakes, he linked the current rift to unresolved guilt over not speaking to his own father before his sudden death.

Living with dementia and reflecting on previous struggles with alcohol and mental health, Windass says he fears his children are repeating the same mistake he once made.

Despite not knowing where Josh lives and not seeing his grandchild for over a year, he remains openly proud of his sons’ football success and personal choices.

His public plea is simple: don’t let pride steal time that can’t be reclaimed.