He said 10 years ago men would be told to ‘grow a pair’ if they said they felt depressed
Dean Windass speaks with Caroline Flint, chair of Humber Teaching NHS Foundation Trust(Image: Humber Teaching NHS Foundation Trust)
Dean Windass has opened up about his experiences with mental health problems. The retired football star, 56, was speaking at the Humber Teaching NHS Foundation Trust’s annual meeting on Thursday.
In the Q&A with Trust Chair Caroline Flint, he was introduced as the scorer of the legendary Wembley goal that launched Hull City into the Premier League in 2008. Humbly, he described himself off the pitch as “just a lad off Hessle Road“.
He recalled he had always dreamed of playing for the club and his dad told him, “One day you will be famous”. Dean said his dad also warned him he might be treated differently and have a lot of hangers-on and he should “never change the person that you are, because what goes up must come down”.
“I go to my local pubs, I buy anybody a pint, they can buy me a pint or whatever. It’s amazing when you do walk into environments and they go, ‘Oh I can’t believe you’re here’, and I’m just, ‘Why? I am no different to you,’ he said. “You work in a building site. I’ve worked in a building site, I’ve worked in a factory before I was a footballer, so I am very grounded.'”
Dean, who has recently been diagnosed with dementia, said he thought life was increasingly difficult for children due to online bullying. “When you speak to children, social media is horrible now.
“What I do say to kids is, if you are getting bullied at school, don’t be scared to tell your mum or your teacher because this is nasty and these people are nasty people. They are brave behind the keyboard.”
Dean said his own struggles began due to a “snowball effect” when he sadly lost his dad and retired from football within a short time frame. “I used to drink, so I didn’t have to think,” he said.
Dean Windass celebrates Hull City’s iconic Wembley moment on May 24, 2008(Image: Clive Rose/Getty Images)
He said he would like to warn young professional footballers to think about the future because “you don’t know what is around the corner”. Dean said men can face serious stigma if they open up, but it is important to reach out.
“If I went in the changing rooms 10 years ago and said, ‘Look I’m down and depressed,’ you would get ruined. You know, ‘Grow a pair’, and this that and the other. So you wouldn’t do it, you wouldn’t say it.”
Dean said therapy from UK based charity Sporting Chance “saved my life”. He said he learned when he was in a bad place not to drink, but to head to the gym or go for a walk.
He strongly advocated for open talks about mental health between people, particularly men, who often struggle with discussing personal problems. “My advice to anyone struggling is please talk to somebody, tell somebody,” he said. “It’s really good to talk because it might save someone’s life, and it could be your own.”
Is Hull the best place to live in Yorkshire? You can have your say by completing the poll below or by clicking here.