THE GREATEST

Denis Law playing for a Rest of the World team against England at Wembley to mark the FA’s centenary in 1963 and (above right) celebrating a goal for Scotland against England in 1965

Tributes pour in as Law dies aged 84

18 Jan 2025 - The National (Scotland)

BY GREGOR YOUNG

FORMER Manchester United, Manchester City and Scotland forward Denis Law has died aged 84, his family said in a statement last night. Law had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia in 2021. A short family statement read: “It is with a heavy heart that we tell you our father Denis Law has sadly passed away. He fought a tough battle but finally he is now at peace.

“We would like to thank everyone who contributed to his wellbeing and care, past and much more recently. We know how much people supported and loved him and that love was always appreciated and made the difference. Thank you.”

Law is survived by his wife Diana, sons Gary, Andrew, Robert and Iain and daughter Diana.

Capped 55 times by Scotland – he made his senior debut aged 18 in 1958 – Law remains his country’s joint all-time leading scorer with 30 goals alongside Kenny Dalglish. He won the Ballon d’Or in 1964 – the only Scottish player to do so.

Former Scotland international Joe Jordan called Law a “proper icon”. He said on BBC Radio 5 Live: “Denis was a special player and to lose someone like him, I think will affect an awful lot of Manchester United fans. A proper icon for his ability on the field to score goals but he had a special edge to him, not just as a player but as a person. He was a special player.”

The Denis Law Legacy Trust said Law was “Scotland’s greatest-ever footballer and a proud Aberdonian”. It added “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.”

Law won two league titles with United and was a member of their European Cup-winning side under Sir Matt Busby in 1968 when they became the first English club to lift the trophy. He scored 237 goals in 404 appearances during an 11-year spell at Old Trafford until 1973, placing him third behind Wayne Rooney and Sir Bobby Charlton on United’s all-time list.

Known as “The King”, Law defied his small physique to terrorise defenders with his fearless approach and electric pace during an 18-year playing career, which also included spells at first club Huddersfield, Manchester City (twice) and Torino.

Law’s transfers from Huddersfield to Manchester City in 1960 and later moves to Italian club Torino (1961) and to Manchester United in 1962 were all British records at the time.

United said in a statement: “Everyone at Manchester United is mourning the loss of Denis Law, the King of the Stretford End, Our deepest condolences go out to Denis’s family and many friends. His memory will live on forever more.”

Law is the only player to have two statues dedicated to him at Old Trafford, one on the Stretford End concourse and the other as part of the “United Trinity” outside the stadium alongside fellow greats George Best and Charlton.

Law’s club career began at Huddersfield and the West Yorkshire club called him an “immortal of the sport” in a statement posted on Twitter/X.

In the years after his retirement Law worked as a broadcaster as well as for numerous charities and he was inducted into both the Scottish and English football halls of fame.

The story of Law’s life is a tale of the pauper who became “The King”. The youngest of seven children, he was born in Aberdeen on February 24, 1940. His arrival came just as the harsh realities of the Second World War were hitting Britain and Law was not just penniless for most of his childhood, but shoeless too.

Raised by fisherman father George and mother Robina in a tiny council flat, he went barefoot until the age of 12 and, when he finally did receive his first pair of shoes, they were handme-downs from his three brothers.

He did not receive his first pair of football boots until the age of 16 but went on to be crowned the best player in Europe. In the early days, though, such visions were hard to imagine for a wiry teenager whose sight was badly affected by a serious squint.

Having turned down a place at Aberdeen Grammar School – where rugby was the only sport on offer – the football-obsessed youngster got his big break in 1954 when he was spotted by Huddersfield scout Archie Beattie.

A trial with the then First Division giants was offered, but a contract was by no means a certainty given Law’s sight problems meant he would often dart about the pitch with one eye shut just to see straight. “The boy’s a freak,” manager Andy Beattie was quoted as saying at the time. “Never did I see a less likely football prospect – weak, puny and bespectacled.”

BUT Beattie saw enough potential to sign Law and even pay for surgery to correct his squint. It was an investment that would pay dividends for Huddersfield.

Their relegation in 1955 opened the door for Law to join the first team and the mentoring he received from new boss Bill Shankly combined with his burgeoning talents convinced Manchester City to pay a British record transfer fee of £55,000 for his services in 1960.

It was with City that Law gave the first real glimpse of the fearlessness that would make him such a lethal predator, throwing his head into places meeker players would not dare dip their foot as he hunted after goals.

A tally of 24 goals from 50 appearances provided value for City’s outlay, but his time at Maine Road coincided with a lean spell for the Sky Blues and Law was itching to join a team which could compete for trophies.

A sojourn to Italy followed as he

made a £110,000 move to Torino, but the joyless defensive tactics adopted in Serie A at the time quickly saw the Scot hankering for home. Sir Matt Busby offered him the escape route he was desperate for and he returned to Manchester to sign for United in the summer of 1962. The Red Devils were building again following the devastation of the Munich disaster, but the combination of Law, Bobby Charlton and George Best proved a match made in heaven.

A year after he claimed the 1964 Ballon d’Or, Law helped fire United to their first Division One title since Munich. Having already won the FA Cup in 1963, Law helped United to another league title in 1966-67 before Busby’s side’s greatest achievement – European Cup glory. An injured Law had to sit out that win over Benfica at Wembley in 1968.

As Law’s powers began to fade, he decided to return to City. He scored a famous back-heeled goal against his old side, which he declined to celebrate, on the day they were relegated to the Second Division, but, contrary to the urban myths that have built up in the years since, it was not the final blow which sent United down. 

Although he played the majority of his career south of the Border, Law’s devotion to Scotland was never in doubt. Law played in the 1974 World Cup but his fondest memory of pulling on the dark blue jersey was the 1967 triumph over Sir Alf Ramsey’s England, making Scotland “unofficial champions of the world”.