Ex-Manchester United star David May has revealed he has fears over his long-term health after revealing that Dean Windass has been diagnosed with dementia.
The ex-Hull, Bradford City and Middlesbrough forward’s condition was shared by the Red Devils legend on BBC Breakfast with the ex-striker’s permission.
“I only spoke to Dean Windass yesterday, ex-professional footballer,” said May.
“I asked Deano how he is. He’s been diagnosed with Stage 2 dementia.
“He’s the same age as me and he’s worried sick of how it’s going to be in the future for him.”
He then took to X and said: “FYI i spoke to @DWindass10 last night and asked his permission, he was 100% behind me mentioning that he had been diagnosed with stage 2 dementia.
“Deano has just done an article for a national newspaper which will be published soon.. share the love.”
As well as reposting May’s message, Windass wrote: “Seriously I am ok was delighted to find out I had a brain. I just hope other families get the help what they want for the people they have lost.”
May enjoyed a successful career which began at Blackburn Rovers before Sir Alex Ferguson lured him to Old Trafford for £1.2million in 1994.
The following year, May had to stand and watch as his former teammates lifted the Premier League title at his and Manchester United’s expense.
However, that only fueled the fire for what became a trophy-laden nine-year spell at the Theatre of Dreams.
Two Premier League titles, two FA Cups and a Champions League winners medal shine brightly in May’s house.
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And he played a hugely significant, if low key, part in the United’s success of the 1990s and early 2000s.
A quintessential centre-back, May often filled in at right-back when first-choice Gary Neville was unavailable.
A warrior on the pitch no matter where he was deployed, May rarely lost an aerial duel.
But now the 54-year-old is scared that his heading ability might come back to haunt him in the years to come.
The former Manchester United star opened up on his concerns about dementia and its widely-discussed connection with football.
He appeared on BBC Breakfast on Friday morning to speak about the issue after the FA’s decision to limit intentional heading in youth games across England due to health implications.
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May admitted that he had headed the ball around 20,000 times during his career and spoke of his concerns on how that might affect his health in the future.
“I didn’t know anything, it’s only really coming to light now that this is coming out,” May said.
May admitted he is unsure on whether signs of dementia will manifest in him over the next decade and spoke of his scepticism on whether he will receive the right support from sports governing entities.
“It’s worrying,” he said. “Yeah, I’m worried, of course I am. I’ve got a family to look after. I don’t want my children looking after me day in and day out.”
“Care does cost a lot of money and the money that’s going into the PFA, is it enough money to care for the future generations, who one in three have a possibility of getting dementia?”
John Stiles, son of England’s 1966 World Cup winner Nobby, revealed that his father was forced to auction off his medals to afford necessary medical care prior to his death in 2020.
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After taking the decision to donate his father’s brain to post-mortem research, John revealed the former England hero didn’t suffer from vascular dementia or Alzheimer’s.
He said: “The disease that killed him is called chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). I asked him (the doctor) how many footballers’ brains he examined had CTE, it was 70 percent. That’s what killed my father.”
“If my dad didn’t have medals to sell, I don’t know what my family would’ve done.”
“That is what is happening with families now. Football families, when they go into care homes, they’re in a terrible state. That is why we’re campaigning to get help for those families, who basically are in a complete financial mess when their loved one goes into a care home.”
