The boy who would be King

18 Jan 2025 - The Press and Journal (Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire)

BY MARC THOMSON

We celebrate remarkable life of Aberdonian raised in a council tenement who became global footballing great

I HAVE BEEN A VERY LUCKY GUY, 

HAVING A BIT OF TALENT ON THE FOOTBALL PITCH 

AND BEING ABLE TO PLAY FOR MY COUNTRY

   - Denis Law

The world of football, Scotland and the city of Aberdeen are in mourning after losing one of the game’s true greats.

Former Scotland and Manchester United striker Denis Law has passed away aged 84.

His death sparked an outpouring of grief in his home city of Aberdeen as well as at Old Trafford as fans paid tributes at monuments to the man affectionately known as both “The Lawman” and “The King of the Stretford End”.

The devoted father-of-five leaves behind sons Gary, Andrew, Robert and Iain, and daughter Diana Jr.

The Denis Law Legacy Trust described Law as “Scotland’s greatest ever footballer and a proud Aberdonian”.

The Trust said: “We are deeply saddened by the loss of Denis and our foremost thoughts are with his family and close friends during this very sad time.

“Denis was Scotland’s greatest ever footballer and a proud Aberdonian. As patron of the charity that was built in his honour, he was an inspirational figure for so many people in the city.”

As tributes flooded in from across the world to the swashbuckling centre forward, who scored more than 250 goals for club and country and is the only Scot to ever win the prestigious Ballon d’Or, we are paying tribute in this special pullout to the Bucksburn-born boy with a natural talent who conquered European football.

And while the memories he created on the pitch would last many lifetimes, his exploits and impact off the field, in his home city in particular, should never be underestimated.

From the importance of his family and upbringing in the north-east to his relentless charity endeavours...

From his fledging career at Huddersfield Town and becoming a Manchester United legend as part of “The Holy Trinity” with George Best and Bobby Charlton to his two spells at Manchester City and an incident-packed but frustrating season in Italy with Torino...

From his Scotland debut in 1958 to becoming the country’s record goalscorer and bowing out at the top by playing in the 1974 World Cup...

We today salute The King. It’s a story to inspire generations to come: how a boy born during wartime and who grew up as the youngest of seven children in a council tenement in Aberdeen’s Printfield Terrace became an international superstar – and one of the greatest, most-celebrated, and most-loved Aberdonians.