Josh Windass has revealed he was unaware of dad Dean's dementia diagnosis until a teammate broke the news. Hull City icon Dean, 55, revealed his condition earlier this year via former Manchester United star David May in a TV interview. Support poured in for the much-loved ex-Bradford striker who featured regularly on Soccer Saturday following his retirement. But Josh, currently plying his trade with Sheffield Wednesday in the Championship, didn't learn of the news until being informed by Owls teammate Max Lowe. “I found out in a coffee shop," he told The Sun. "Max said, ‘Sorry to hear about your dad’s dementia’ and I thought, ‘Oh! That’s news to me!’ He’s well loved within the football community. He’s a bit of a nutter and people like that about people. “I don’t think he’s struggling too badly. I speak sometimes to my brother, who is keeping tabs on him. He’s sound. “When news like this comes out people always think the worst. But it’s not a severe grade at the minute and he’s not having too many problems. The first thing I asked was if he still knew my name and he did, so I didn’t ask him too many questions.” Dean has since spoken out on the perils of a heading a football with research proving a link with increased risk of dementia. And Josh believes more needs to be done. “You don’t want anyone getting dementia or any other illness," he added. “You want everyone on the planet to be healthy in an ideal world so it’s important to raise awareness to help people prevent it. “Even things like eating healthily. It’s not just for making you look good at the beach, it’s great for your lifestyle and health." Windass, 31, is preparing with his Wednesday teammates for Sunday's Steel City derby against fierce rivals Sheffield United. Following back-to-back wins, Danny Rohl's side have closed to within five points of the top six. Victory over United, who sit second going into the weekend's fixtures, would put them firmly back in the playoff picture. And Windass, who scored the winner as Wednesday beat Barnsley at Wembley to return to the second tier in 2023, is eyeing a return. He added: “I guess that Wembley goal was nice — but a League One promotion isn’t something I talk about too much because it’s not such a big achievement.” Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.