Brits are being urged to know the signs of dementia after a former Premier League footballer revealed last week that he had been diagnosed with a stage two form of the disease.
Retired footballer Dean Windass, who enjoyed a two-decade-long career playing for clubs including Hull City, Middlesbrough and Aberdeen, scored his last Premier League goal at age 39. He announced his retirement in October 2009, and was diagnosed with dementia last year.
The 55-year-old former striker explained that he forgets small things like names and things his partner has told him, reports Surrey Live. After turning to John Stiles (the son of England 1966 World Cup hero Nobby Stiles), he went to get the medical scans that confirmed the condition. Stiles died at age 78 in 2020, after living with dementia himself for a number of years.
Windass’ diagnosis was first revealed (with his consent) by former Manchester United defender David May on BBC Breakfast last week. He said: “I spoke to Deano [Windass] and he’s worried sick about how it is going to be in the future for him.” While Windass has struggled to come to terms with the news, he hopes to raise dementia awareness by speaking publicly about his diagnosis.
The NHS website explains that dementia is known as the collection of symptoms that result from damage to the brain, which are caused by different diseases such as Alzheimer’s. There are six common early symptoms that may appear some time before a dementia diagnosis:
- Memory loss
- Difficulty concentrating
- Getting confused over mundane tasks, like finding the correct change when shopping
- Struggling to find the right word or having difficulty following a conversation
- Being confused about time and place
- Mood changes
These symptoms often start out as mild and get worse gradually over time. If you’re experiencing these symptoms, it’s important to speak to your GP as soon as possible.
Father of two, Windass scored 234 goals at club level. He has no doubt over what has caused his dementia, telling The Daily Mail : “I’ve been heading footballs for a job. Not in the games but in training. Crossing and finishing drills. They asked me how many times I’d headed the ball in 20 years. Bloody hell! Thousands and thousands of times.”
Following his CT scan, Windass received the diagnosis over a Zoom call. He said: “The conversation I had was that there was nothing to worry about at this stage but the scan has come back as mild grade two dementia. Immediately, I was like ‘oh f***, what does that mean?’
“I don’t know how it will affect my life in the years to come. I do forget names. I don’t know what’s around the corner. I live day to day.”
Windass also told the Mirror that he chose to speak out about his diagnosis in order to help others. He said: “My phone has gone mad because everyone thinks I’m dying. I’m not dying. I’m all right.
“My son text to ask if I was okay. I don’t know what’s going to happen in five years or tomorrow. I just get on with it.”
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