UK GAA club sign former Premier League star Windass

By Peter O’ Dwyer

The amateur ethos of the GAA and the glamour of professional football are generally seen as far removed from each other but one Yorkshire GAA club have turned that notion on its head with the signing of the season.

Leeds-based Hugh O’ Neill’s have signed former Premier League striker Dean Windass to fire them to glory this coming season.

The former Hull City and Bradford striker has over 200 goals to his name in the various divisions of English soccer and was a regular for Bradford for a time during their stay in the Premier League.

He is, however, a complete novice when it comes to kicking an O’ Neills around, although he is hoping his existing footballing skills will see him through.

''I have never played Gaelic football before but hopefully I can pick up the skills soon and hit the onion bag as many times as I have done with previous clubs,'' he said.

Post by Hugh O'Neill's Gaa Leeds.

Windass is, of course, a club legend with his hometown team Hull City having scored a cracker of a volley to send them to the Premier League, against Bristol City in the 2008 Championship playoff.

At 44 years of age we can’t imagine he’ll have the legs for much more than hanging around the square and latching onto breaking balls in the hope of finding the back of the net with one or two, which really isn’t much difference to what he’s been doing his entire career.