Josh Windass
{{short description|English footballer (born 1994)}}
{{Use British English|date=April 2016}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2024}}
{{Infobox football biography
|name = Josh Windass
|image = Josh Windass 12-04-2014 1.jpg
|upright = 0.9
|caption = Windass training with Accrington Stanley in 2014
|full_name = Joshua Dean Windass{{Hugman|26425|access-date=9 January 2017}}
|birth_date = {{birth date and age|1994|1|9|df=y}}
|birth_place = Hull, England{{soccerbase|70939}}
|position = Attacking midfielder, forward
|currentclub = Sheffield Wednesday
|clubnumber = 11
|youthyears1 = 2002–2012
|youthclubs1 = Huddersfield Town
|years1 = 2012–2013
|clubs1 = Harrogate Railway Athletic
|caps1 =
|goals1 =
|years2 = 2013–2016
|clubs2 = Accrington Stanley
|caps2 = 75
|goals2 = 22
|years3 = 2016–2018
|clubs3 = Rangers
|caps3 = 55
|goals3 = 13
|years4 = 2018–2020
|clubs4 = Wigan Athletic
|caps4 = 54
|goals4 = 9
|years5 = 2020
|clubs5 = → Sheffield Wednesday (loan)
|caps5 = 9
|goals5 = 3
|years6 = 2020–
|clubs6 = Sheffield Wednesday
|caps6 = 153
|goals6 = 43
|club-update = 15:29, 3 May 2025 (UTC)
}}
Joshua Dean Windass (born 9 January 1994) is an English professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder and forward for {{English football updater|SheffieW}} club Sheffield Wednesday.
After playing youth football for Huddersfield Town, Windass began his senior career in non-league football with Harrogate Railway Athletic. He later played for Accrington Stanley, Rangers, and Wigan Athletic. After signing for Sheffield Wednesday on loan, the transfer was made permanent.
Career
=Early career=
Windass played youth football for Huddersfield Town, spending ten years with the club.{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/news-and-comment/josh-windass-is-helping-accrington-stanleys-promotion-push-a6714346.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220617/https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/news-and-comment/josh-windass-is-helping-accrington-stanleys-promotion-push-a6714346.html |archive-date=17 June 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=Josh Windass is helping Accrington Stanley's promotion push|date=30 October 2015|access-date=30 June 2016|first=Simon |last=Hart|publisher=Independent News & Media|work=The Independent|location=London}} He was released in April 2012 and trialled with Bradford City that same month.{{cite web|url=http://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/sport/sportbcfc/9667546.Baker_s_at_the_double_for_City_reserves/|title=Baker's at the double for City reserves|date=24 April 2012|access-date=9 November 2013|publisher=Newsquest Media Group|work=Telegraph & Argus|location=Bradford}} Windass began his senior career with non-league team Harrogate Railway Athletic in December 2012.{{cite web|url=http://www.evostikleague.co.uk/saturdays-transfer-list-12196/|title=Saturday's Transfer List|date=22 December 2012|access-date=9 November 2013|author=David Watters|publisher=Evo-Stik Northern Premier League|archive-date=5 July 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170705040222/http://www.evostikleague.co.uk/saturdays-transfer-list-12196|url-status=dead}} He played on a semi-professional basis, combining his football career with a job as a construction labourer.
=Accrington Stanley=
He signed a professional contract with Accrington Stanley in July 2013.{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/23407590|title=Accrington Stanley sign Josh Windass on one-year contract|date=24 July 2013|access-date=25 July 2013|publisher=BBC |work=BBC Sport}}{{cite web|url=http://www.ripongazette.co.uk/sport/local/harrogate-railway-winger-josh-windass-joins-accrington-stanley-1-5886239|title=Harrogate Railway winger Josh Windass joins Accrington Stanley|date=27 July 2013|access-date=27 July 2013|publisher=Ripon Gazette|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20131109185837/http://www.ripongazette.co.uk/sport/local/harrogate-railway-winger-josh-windass-joins-accrington-stanley-1-5886239|archive-date=9 November 2013}} He made his professional debut on 9 November 2013, in the FA Cup.{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/24782197|title=Accrington 0–1 Tranmere|date=9 November 2013|access-date=9 November 2013|publisher=BBC |work=BBC Sport}} In November 2015 he turned down a new contract from the club on the advice of his father.{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/34844549|title=Josh Windass: Accrington forward to 'make own decision' on future|date=17 November 2015|access-date=5 January 2016|publisher=BBC |work=BBC Sport}} In January 2016 Accrington announced that Scottish club Rangers had approached Windass and teammate Matt Crooks directly, due to them being in the final six months of their contracts.{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/35228586|title=Rangers talk to Accrington's Matt Crooks and Josh Windass|date=4 January 2016|access-date=5 January 2016|publisher=BBC |work=BBC Sport}} The duo agreed pre-contracts with Rangers later that month, ahead of the 2016–17 season.{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/35239440|title=Rangers: Josh Windass and Matt Crooks sign pre-contract deals|date=6 January 2016|access-date=9 January 2016|publisher=BBC |work=BBC Sport}}
=Rangers=
Windass joined Rangers on 1 July 2016, signing a four-year contract alongside fellow Accrington player Matt Crooks. Both players had already been training with the club before completing their transfers after Rangers agreed a compensation fee with Accrington, reported to be around £60,000 per player.{{cite web|url=http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/rangers-accrington-agree-cash-deal-8238179|title=Rangers and Accrington agree cash deal for Josh Windass and Matt Crooks|date=20 June 2016|access-date=2 July 2016|publisher=Trinity Mirror|location=Glasgow |work=Daily Record}} Windass made his debut for Rangers in a pre-season friendly against American side Charleston Battery on 7 July 2016, scoring the opening goal in a 2–1 win.{{cite web|url=http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-match-reports/charleston-battery-1-rangers-2-8366969|title=Charleston Battery 1 Rangers 2: Josh Windass hits debut goal to help Gers win|date=7 July 2016|access-date=7 July 2016|publisher=Trinity Mirror|location=Glasgow |work=Daily Record|first=Gary |last=Ralston}} His official debut was against Motherwell in the Scottish League Cup on 16 July{{Cite news |title=Motherwell 0–2 Rangers |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/36753027 |publisher=BBC |date=16 July 2016 | work=BBC Sport |first=Chris |last=McLaughlin|access-date=16 December 2016}} and Windass netted his first goal for the club against Lowland Football League side East Stirlingshire six days later.{{ cite news | url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/36801015 | title=East Stirlingshire 0–3 Rangers| publisher=BBC | work=BBC Sport | date=22 July 2016 | first=Chick |last=Young |access-date=16 December 2016}} Windass spent periods of the first half of the 2016–17 season on the sidelines due to a recurring hamstring injury in early August{{ cite news | url=http://rangers.co.uk/news/headlines/windass-chasing-fitness/ | title=Windass Chasing Fitness | first=Alice | last=Hedworth | publisher=Rangers Football Club | date=29 July 2016 | work=Rangers.co.uk |access-date=16 December 2016}} and October.{{ cite news | title=Josh Windass: Celtic semi-final my worst Rangers performance | url=http://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/teams/rangers/josh-windass-celtic-semi-final-my-worst-rangers-performance-1-4269456 | publisher=Johnstone Press| date=26 October 2016 | work=The Scotsman | location=Edinburgh|access-date=16 December 2016}} Despite this, Windass was linked with a return to England in December 2016, with EFL Championship sides Derby County and Newcastle United reportedly showing an interest in the midfielder.{{cite web|url=http://www.examiner.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/rangers-former-town-midfielder-josh-12282164|title=Rangers' former Town midfielder linked to Newcastle and Derby|first=Rory|last=Benson|date=6 December 2016|work=Huddersfield Examiner|access-date=1 December 2019}}
During the 2017–18 season, Windass finished the season with 18 goals in all competitions, tied (with Alfredo Morelos) as the club's top scorer for the season; with 13 of Windass' strikes in the league, the third-highest total behind Kris Boyd and Morelos.{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/scottish-premiership/top-scorers|title=Top Scorers - Scottish Premiership - Football|website=BBC Sport|access-date=13 July 2018}}
=Wigan Athletic=
=Sheffield Wednesday=
Windass joined Sheffield Wednesday on loan for the remainder of the 2019–20 season on 31 January 2020.{{cite web|url=https://www.swfc.co.uk/news/2020/january/windass-joins-wednesday-on-loan/|title=Josh Windass joins Wednesday on loan|website=www.swfc.co.uk|access-date=1 February 2020}} Due to COVID-19 his loan spell was extended until the end of July.{{cite web |title=Owls loanees extend deals |url=https://www.swfc.co.uk/news/2020/june/owls-loanees-extend-deals/|publisher=Sheffield Wednesday F.C. |access-date=30 June 2020}}
On 2 September 2020, he made his move to Sheffield Wednesday a permanent signing for an undisclosed fee.{{cite news |title=Josh Windass rejoins Wednesday|url=https://www.swfc.co.uk/news/2020/september/windass-rejoins-wednesday/|access-date=2 September 2020 |publisher=Sheffield Wednesday F.C. |date=2 September 2020}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/54002407|title=Kachunga and Windass sign for Wednesday|work=BBC Sport }} His first appearance on his return to the club was on 5 September 2020, in the EFL Cup away to Walsall, where he came on as a second-half substitute. He would score his first goal as a permanent Wednesday player, on the opening day of the season in an away win against Cardiff City. He would win the clubs player of the month competition during his first month back at the club, after scoring 2 goals in 5 appearances.{{cite web|title= Windass voted Wednesday's Player of the Month |url= https://www.swfc.co.uk/news/2020/october/windass-voted-wednesdays-player-of-the-month/ |website=Sheffield Wednesday Football Club|access-date=4 October 2020}} Following relegation to League One, Windass was heavily linked with moves back to the Championship, with the club rejecting offers in the region of £1 million for him.{{cite web|title= Sheffield Wednesday reject another bid for Josh Windass as Millwall try again|url=https://www.thestar.co.uk/sport/football/sheffield-wednesday/sheffield-wednesday-reject-another-bid-for-josh-windass-as-millwall-try-again-3284268|website=Sheffield Star|date=23 June 2021 |access-date=24 June 2021}}
During pre-season for the 2021–22 season, Windass suffered a hamstring injury during a friendly against West Bromwich Albion which would rule him out for two months and the start of the League One season.{{cite web|title=Major Sheffield Wednesday blow with Josh Windass facing long injury lay-off|url=https://www.examinerlive.co.uk/sport/football/news/sheffield-wednesday-blow-josh-windass-21210942|website=YorkshireLive|date=3 August 2021 |access-date=3 August 2021}} Despite being injured, he signed a new two-year deal at the club on 10 August 2021, which would see him remain at the club until the summer of 2023.{{cite news |title=Josh Windass signs new Owls contract|url=https://www.swfc.co.uk/news/2021/august/josh-windass-signs-new-owls-contract/|access-date=10 August 2021|publisher=Sheffield Wednesday F.C.|date=10 August 2021}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/58158354|title=Windass signs Owls deal as Sow joins|work=BBC Sport }} Following his injury, he returned to the squad on 20 November as an unused substitute against Accrington Stanley{{cite news |title=Josh Windass returns as Sheffield Wednesday boss Darren Moore starts Massimo Luongo v Accrington|url=https://www.examinerlive.co.uk/sport/football/news/sheffield-wednesday-team-confirmed-accrington-22224358|access-date=20 November 2021|publisher=YorkshireLive|date=20 November 2021}} and made his playing come back a few days later, coming off the bench to score an injury time winner against Milton Keynes Dons.{{cite news |title=Josh Windass hits last-gasp Owls winner|url=https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11703/12475555/sheffield-wednesday-2-1-mk-dons-josh-windass-hits-last-gasp-owls-winner|access-date=23 November 2021|publisher=SkySports|date=23 November 2021}} Following the end of the 2021–22 season, there was again interest in him, with his ex Rangers manager Pedro Caixinha linking him with a surprise move to Atlético Talleres reported.{{cite web|title=Sheffield Wednesday set to resist Atlético Talleres interest in Josh Windass |url=https://www.thestar.co.uk/sport/football/sheffield-wednesday/sheffield-wednesday-set-to-resist-atletico-talleres-interest-in-josh-windass-offer-rejected-in-strong-terms-3713336|website=Sheffield Star|date=29 May 2022 |access-date=29 May 2022}}
He scored two braces, against Cambridge United in League One and Newcastle United in the FA Cup, resulting in him winning the club's player of the month for January 2023{{cite web|title=Windass voted Owls Player of the Month|url=https://www.swfc.co.uk/news/2023/february/windass-voted-owls-player-of-the-month/|publisher=Sheffield Wednesday FC|access-date=2 February 2023}} and a nomination from the EFL for player of the month.{{cite web|title=Sky Bet League One: January Manager and Player of the Month nominees|date=8 February 2023 |url=https://www.efl.com/news/2023/february/sky-bet-league-one-january-manager-and-player-of-the-month-nominees/|publisher=Sheffield Wednesday FC|access-date=8 February 2023}} His form for the 2022–23 season, saw him and teammate Barry Bannan make the EFL League One team of the Season.{{cite web|title=EFL Team of the Season line-ups revealed|date=23 April 2023 |url=https://www.efl.com/news/2023/april/efl-team-of-the-season-line-ups-revealed/|publisher=EFL|access-date=23 April 2023}} He scored the only goal in the last minute of the League One play-off final against Barnsley to gain promotion to the Championship.{{cite news|title= Sheffield Wed beat Barnsley with 123rd-minute winner|work=BBC Sport |date=28 May 2023 |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/65667707|accessdate=29 May 2023}} Wednesday exercised an option in his contract for him to remain at the club for another season.{{cite web|title=Owls retained list confirmed|url=https://www.swfc.co.uk/news/2023/june/owls-retained-list-confirmed/|publisher=Sheffield Wednesday FC|access-date=2 June 2023}}
His goal against Blackburn Rovers, a looping chip from range that dropped under the crossbar won the April Championship Goal of the Month.{{cite web|title=Windass stunner in Goal of the Month running!|url=https://www.swfc.co.uk/news/2024/may/windass-stunner-in-goal-of-the-month-running/|publisher=Sheffield Wednesday FC|access-date=10 May 2024}}{{cite news|url=https://www.swfc.co.uk/news/2024/may/windass-wins-championship-goal-of-the-month/|title=Windass wins Championship Goal of the Month!|publisher=Sheffield Wednesday F.C.|date=17 May 2024|access-date=17 May 2024}} Following the end of the 2023–24 season, the club offered Windass a new contract.{{cite news |title=Owls confirm retained list|url=https://www.swfc.co.uk/news/2024/may/owls-confirm-retained-list/|access-date=17 May 2024 |publisher=Sheffield Wednesday FC|date=17 May 2024}} He signed his new contract on 2 July 2024.{{cite news|title=Windass remains with Wednesday|url=https://www.swfc.co.uk/news/2024/july/02/windass-remains-with-wednesday/|access-date=2 July 2023|publisher=Sheffield Wednesday Official Site|date=2 July 2023}}
The following season, he won the club's player of the month award for December 2024, having scored four goals.{{cite web|title=Windass is our December Player of the Month!|url=https://www.swfc.co.uk/news/2025/january/03/windass-is-our-december-player-of-the-month-/|website=Sheffield Wednesday Football Club|access-date=3 January 2025}} In January 2025, he scored from his own half against Derby County which earned him the goal of the month award,{{cite web|title=Windass lands Championship Goal of the Month award!|url=https://www.swfc.co.uk/news/2025/february/14/windass-lands-championship-goal-of-the-month-award-/|website=Sheffield Wednesday FC|date=17 January 2025 |access-date=14 February 2025}} and a nomination for goal of the season.{{cite news|url=https://www.efl.com/news/2025/april/27/goal-of-the-season-shortlist-revealed/|title=Goal of the Season shortlist revealed|publisher=EFL|date=27 April 2025|access-date=27 April 2025}} His goal against Watford on the final day of the 2024–25 season made him Sheffield Wednesday's leading goal scorer in the 21st century with 53 goals, overtaking Marcus Tudgay's record.{{cite news|url=https://www.swfc.co.uk/news/2025/may/04/proud-of-the-record/|title=Proud of the record|publisher=Sheffield Wednesday FC|date=4 May 2025|access-date=4 May 2025}} Following the end of the 2024–25 season, an option was taken to extend his current contract.{{cite news |title=Owls confirm retained list|url=https://www.swfc.co.uk/news/2025/may/15/owls-confirm-/|access-date=15 May 2025 |publisher=Sheffield Wednesday FC |date=15 May 2025}}
Playing style
Personal life
Windass was born in Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, and is the son of former professional Dean Windass.{{cite web|url=http://www.examiner.co.uk/sport/football/news/famous-fathers-new-huddersfield-town-4998935|title=Famous fathers of new Huddersfield Town academy players|date=21 May 2010|access-date=9 November 2013|first=Doug |last=Thomson|work=Huddersfield Examiner}}
Career statistics
{{Updated|match played 3 May 2025}}
{{notelist}}
Honours
References
{{reflist}}
{{Commons category|Josh Windass}}
{{Sheffield Wednesday F.C. squad}}
{{2022–23 EFL League One Team of the Season}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Windass, Josh}}
Category:Footballers from Kingston upon Hull
Category:English men's footballers
Category:Men's association football midfielders
Category:Huddersfield Town A.F.C. players
Category:Harrogate Railway Athletic F.C. players
Category:Accrington Stanley F.C. players
Category:Wigan Athletic F.C. players
Category:Northern Football League players
Category:English Football League players
Category:Scottish Professional Football League players