Dean Windass: ‘Dementia scares me, footballers need more support’

In his first broadcast interview since the diagnosis, Windass spoke candidly about the impact the news was having on his mental health and his family.

He said he believed his diagnosis was a direct result of repeatedly heading the ball, and had concerns for his two sons, Josh and Jordan, both of whom are footballers.

“I don’t want them to worry because at the minute I’m alright,” he explained.

A study by Glasgow University in 2019 found former professional footballers were almost three-and-a-half times more likely to be diagnosed with dementia than the general population.

Windass said he wanted to raise awareness of dementia and get players’ union the Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) to increase its support to affected players and their families.

“The one thing I love about myself is trying to help as many people as I can in any way, shape or form,” he said.

“The reason why we’ve done this [interview] is to help the families, because my family might need help in 10 or 15 years’ time. So I don’t want them to suffer as well.

“At this present time, if I can help or we can help people and push the PFA to help these people … that’s what we’re trying to do and trying to achieve.”

The PFA said it invested more than £1m in a brain health fund after a group of 30 former footballers and their families launched legal action in 2022 against football’s governing bodies, claiming they failed to protect them from brain injuries.

The Premier League has also contributed to the fund, which according to the PFA, aims to provide industry-wide support to players living with dementia and other neurodegenerative conditions.