Dean Windass
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Categories: 1969 births | Living people | People from Hull | English footballers | Football (soccer) strikers | North Ferriby United A.F.C. players | Hull City A.F.C. players | Aberdeen F.C. players | Oxford United F.C. players | Bradford City A.F.C. players | Middlesbrough F.C. players | Sheffield Wednesday F.C. players | Sheffield United F.C. players | Premier League players | The Football League players
Dean Windass (born 1 April 1969 in Hull, England) is an English footballer who plays as a striker for his hometown club, Hull City. Windass started his professional career at Hull after working as a builder. He has also played for Aberdeen, Oxford United, Bradford City, Middlesbrough, Sheffield Wednesday and Sheffield United. He is seen as a controversial player, once being sent off three times in a game for Aberdeen as well as grabbing another opponent's testicles while at Bradford, but also is Bradford City's third highest scorer of all-time.
CareerHull CityWindass' career has come full circle, having started as a YTS trainee at Hull City before being released, following which he had unsuccessful trials at Sunderland, Cambridge United and York City.[1] Instead he started playing for non-league North Ferriby United while also working as a builder.[2] He was brought back to City by manager Terry Dolan in October 1991, entering professional league football at the relatively late age of 22. He initially played in midfield for the Tigers and later as a forward, playing 205 games and scoring 64 goals,[3] becoming a firm fans' favourite - in a 2005 poll to name the top 100 Tigers, Windass was named the fourth best player in the club's 100-year history.[4] In December 1995, with the club in financial difficulty, he was sold to Aberdeen for £700,000. AberdeenDuring his time at Aberdeen, he gained a reputation as a player who often got into trouble with the authorities. On 9 November 1997, during a league game with Dundee United, Windass contrived to be shown three red cards - once for foul play (having previously been booked); another for verbally abusing the referee, and a third for taking out his frustration on a corner flag as he left the field. This game was the club's last match under the management of Roy Aitken,[5] and Windass himself was to move on at the end of the season. In the three years he spent at Aberdeen he netted 23 goals in 78 League appearances. Oxford UnitedIn July 1998 he moved to Oxford United for £400,000 and remains their record signing to this day. He won a Championship Player of the Month award and scored 15 goals in 33 league games in his nine months with the club. Bradford CityHe transferred to Bradford City in March 1999 for an initial fee of £950,000 as Paul Jewell looked to build his squad for a promotion push to the Premiership. He helped Bradford City to runners-up position in Division One in 1998–99 and thus gain promotion to the top division for the first time in 77 years. Promotion meant the transfer fee rose to £1million, and he became the club's third seven-figure signing of the season.[1] During the summer, Windass opted not to go on holiday and instead continued to train in preparation for his own first season in the top flight.[1] His dedication was rewarded as he was the club's top scorer in their first season in the Premiership with ten goals, including a hat-trick in a 4–4 draw with Derby County. City avoided relegation on the final day of the 1999–2000 season, when they defeated Liverpool 1–0 thanks to a header from David Wetherall. Paul Jewell left City in the days following City's successful battle against relegation and his assistant manager Chris Hutchings was appointed new manager. Hutchings was given money by chairman Geoffrey Richmond to spend on new players, which included new strikers Benito Carbone and Ashley Ward. Windass' appearances flipped between midfield and forward but with the club facing relegation he was sold to Middlesbrough in March 2001 for £600,000. He still finished the season as the club's top scorer—his eight goals included three in the Intertoto Cup and one in a 2–0 victory over Chelsea, which proved to be Hutchings' only league victory before he was sacked in November. Middlesbrough and Sheffield UnitedWindass said the move to Middlesbrough was the highlight of his career,[1] but his league appearances were restricted to just 38 as he failed to become a first-team regular at the Riverside, and instead spent periods on loan at Sheffield Wednesday and rivals Sheffield United, before a permanent move to Sheffield United in January 2003 after an approach from his former teammate Stuart McCall who was assistant at United. Windass helped the Blades to the play-offs but he was dropped by manager Neil Warnock for the final, opting instead to watch his side's 3–0 defeat by Wolves in a pub.[1] He decided not to stay at United and instead returned to Bradford City, now under the management of Nicky Law, in July 2003. Return to BradfordWindass' second spell at Bradford was equally as successful on a personal scale and he climbed to the club's third highest scorer in its history.[1] City's fortunes on and off the pitch were poor, and with the club unable to pay money for players, relegation to Division Two followed. In 2004–05 Windass scored 28 goals to be the top scorer in the Football League although the club could only finish in mid-table. The following season Windass added another 20 goals as Bradford matched the previous season's 13th place finish. Despite persistent speculation about a return to Hull City,[6] and repeated bids of up to £500,000 from Premiership Wigan Athletic by former managed Paul Jewell,[7][8] on 19 October 2006 he signed an extension to his Bradford City contract until 2009,[9] stating an ambition to score the 40 goals he needs to become the club's all time top scorer by the time his new contract ends. Windass remained a controversial character and in September 2006, on Fifa Fair Play day, he was accused of grabbing fellow professional John Finnigan by the testicles during Bradford's 2–1 win over Cheltenham Town. Finnigan was then sent off for violent conduct after hitting Windass.[10] However, on 17 January 2007, it was confirmed that Dean Windass would return to Hull City on loan until the end of the season.[11] The money Hull paid for the loan deal and the savings Bradford made on Windass' wages ensured Bradford chairman Julian Rhodes could pay urgent bills.[1] He was not to return to Bradford and he finished with 76 league goals and 87 goals in total. The tally puts him behind just Bobby Campbell and Frank O'Rourke in the club's goal scoring charts. Return to HullSince returning to Hull he has regained the cult status he previously earned at the club, as his eight goals helped to keep the Tigers in the Championship. His most vital strike was on 28 April 07, the penultimate Saturday of the season, scoring the only goal in the win away at Cardiff. This left City three points ahead of Leeds United with a vastly superior goal difference, meaning virtually certain Championship survival. However, in his absence Bradford were relegated from League One to League Two. Windass finished the season as both clubs' top scorer, with 12 goals for Bradford and eight for Hull.[12][13] Windass had the chance to return to Bradford but opted to stay at Hull because of Bradford's relegation,[1] and the two clubs entered protracted negotiations over the size of the transfer fee required to make the loan move a permanent one. On 19 June 2007 the transfer was completed and Windass signed for Hull on a two year deal for an initial fee of £150,000 plus further add-ons based on appearances.[14] References
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