Why ex-Rangers & Sheffield Wednesday star Josh Windass refuses to celebrate most of his Wrexham goals | OneFootball

Former Rangers and Sheffield Wednesday forward Josh Windass' lack of goal celebrations during his time at Wrexham has raised a few eyebrows.

Josh Windass has been a household name in the EFL for a number of years, but he will be looking to help Wrexham reach the Premier League this season.

Windass has starred since making the move to Wrexham last summer, quickly establishing himself as a firm fan favourite at the SToK Cae Ras, but many of the forward's former clubs will also have fond memories of him, including Rangers and Sheffield Wednesday.

Ex-Rangers and Sheffield Wednesday man Josh Windass will have Wrexham promotion dream

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After making a name for himself with Accrington Stanley in League Two, Windass made the move to Rangers in the summer of 2016, and he scored 19 goals and provided 13 assists in 73 appearances for the Scottish giants before returning to English football with Wigan Athletic two years later.

Windass initially joined Sheffield Wednesday on loan in January 2020 before making the move permanent that summer, and he netted 53 goals and registered 23 assists in 182 appearances during his five-and-a-half year stint at Hillsborough, including heading home a 123rd-minute winner for the Owls in the League One play-off final against Barnsley at Wembley in 2023.

However, Windass' time in South Yorkshire ended in controversial fashion after he chose to terminate his contract last summer as Wednesday fell into crisis under then-owner Dejphon Chansiri, which allowed him to make the move to Wrexham on a free transfer.

Windass enjoyed an impressive debut season with the Red Dragons, scoring 16 goals and providing seven assists in 46 appearances in all competitions as Phil Parkinson's side narrowly missed out on the play-offs in their first season back in the Championship.

There is no doubt that Windass has established himself as one of Wrexham's star men over the past year, but one intriguing trend has continued since his move to North Wales, and it has certainly raised a few eyebrows.

Wrexham star Josh Windass opens up about muted goal celebrations

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During his time at Hillsborough, Sheffield Wednesday supporters often noticed that Windass did not celebrate his goals, and the 32-year-old has been equally muted on occasions after finding the back of the net in a Wrexham shirt.

There was regular debate among Owls fans about what was behind Windass' nonchalance after scoring, with some claiming it was an indication that he was unsettled at the club, while others even accused him of arrogance.

Windass addressed the issue of his low-key celebrations after it attracted particularly strong attention when he scored a double in Wednesday's 2-1 FA Cup win over Premier League side Newcastle United in January 2023.

"I’ve been doing that for the majority of my time here, so I don’t know why it’s just all of a sudden become a subject – maybe because it was on TV or whatever, and everyone noticed it. But it’s how I usually celebrate," Windass told The Star.

"There’s genuinely no reason, when I score I just don’t get the urge to run around and go mad. I obviously feel happy when I score, but I don't get overexcited."

Given the media spotlight on Wrexham under Hollywood owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac, Windass' casual nature has seemed a little out of step with the otherwise intense atmosphere around the SToK Cae Ras, but that does not seem to have bothered the 32-year-old.

Speaking in April, Windass admitted that he does not "get happy" when he scores, and he revealed that his mindset is instead to "carry on playing and try and get another one", which will no doubt be music to Parkinson's ears.

Wrexham supporters will share the same Josh Windass view as Sheffield Wednesday fans

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Windass' lack of celebration may have taken Wrexham supporters by surprise at first, particularly given the amount of crucial goals he scored for the club last season.

However, as Red Dragons fans become more accustomed to Windass' unique personality, they will surely no longer have any problems with his apparent ambivalence after scoring, providing he keeps delivering on the pitch.

Many of Wrexham's victories last season were only by a single goal, so plenty of Windass' 16 goals were decisive and helped to earn them invaluable points in their pursuit of a play-off place.

Windass developed a reputation for being a big game player during his spell at Sheffield Wednesday, and there was no better example of that than when he popped up with a last-gasp winner to send the Owls to the Championship.

While he is still in the relatively early stages of his Wrexham career, Windass is already beginning to establish a similar status at the SToK Cae Ras, and if the Red Dragons are to achieve their promotion ambitions this season, it is difficult not to feel that the enigmatic forward will have a significant role to play.

It has been a quiet start to the campaign by Windass' usual standards, but given that he has previously admitted he is his own biggest critic, he will be determined to rediscover his level from last season, and he is certain to produce many more memorable moments for Wrexham over the coming months, even if he may not celebrate them.