Dean Windass Bio Send To Friend  

A Hull City legend in every possible sense, Windass was the fulcrum of the team which earned a place in the Premier League for the first ever time through the play-offs in 2007/08.

Born and bred in the City, Windass was released by City as a teenager - amazingly he was thought to be too small - and he dropped into non-league football. But his performances down the road at North Ferriby - he worked as a builder during this time - in the Northern Counties East League were being monitored and he was re-signed in 1991.

Windass stayed at City for four years but he was sold in 1995, after scoring 64 goals in 205 games, with City in dire financial trouble. Even though Norwich City made a higher bid for his services, the striker was sold to Aberdeen as they paid the £600,000 in one complete installment.

The striker, known for his fiery and robust style, bagged 25 goals in his first season in the SPL though will be most remember for picking up three red cards in one match - for the original dismissal, abusing the officials and kicking a corner flag.

Homesick for England he signed for Oxford for £475,000 but only spent a short while at the Manor Ground before joining Bradford in March 1999 for £950,000. He spent two years with the Bantams before being signed by Middlesbrough for £600,000.

Windass failed to make an impression at the Riverside and was loaned out to both Sheffield Wednesday and United before joining the Blade on a free transfer in January 2003. It would be a short stay as he moved back to Bradford at the end of the campaign.

Despite Bradford's financial woes, Windass was superb and proved to be a rare bright spot for the West Yorkshire side. He scored 60 goals in 138 starts despite already being well into his 30s.

Those money troubles forced Bradford to remove Windass from their wage bill and he agreed to return to Hull in January 2007 on loan for the remainder of the season. And what a return it was, bagging 8 Championship goals in just 15 starts to pull Hull away from the relegation zone. The prodigal had returned.

Hull secured a £150,000 permanent move for the striker, who by this time had turned 38, in the summer of 2007. And it was money well spent as he scored 11 Championship goals despite starting 29 matches and used sparingly to protect his fitness.

Windass then scored the vital opener in the first leg of the play-off semi-final at Watford. And in the final, against Bristol City, it was Windass who scored the only goal of the game with an absolute peach from the edge of the area.

The striker may found life hard going in the top flight with Hull with another year on the clock, but he more than earned another crack at Premier League football with his hometown club.

Very much a marginalised figure in 2008/09, he often spoken of his frustration at not being able to get into the Hull team which started the season in electric form. After five appearances he left the Tigers on loan to Oldham Athletic for the remainder of the season in January 2009.