United legend Law, last member of ‘Holy Trinity’, dies aged 84

‘The King of the Stretford End’ was beloved in Manchester, Scotland and beyond

18 Jan 2025 - THE GUARDIAN / Sport

Sachin Nakrani

Great names from Manchester United and Scotland have paid tribute to Denis Law, a legendary figure for both club and country, following his death at the age of 84.

Law, who was diagnosed with dementia in August 2021, scored 237 goals in 404 appearances for United and was the last surviving member of Old Trafford’s “Holy Trinity”, following the passing of George Best in 2005 and Sir Bobby Charlton in 2023. As such, his own passing represents a hugely significant moment in the club’s history.

For Scotland, meanwhile, Law earned 55 caps having made his international debut against Wales in October 1958, going on to score 30 goals, which remains the joint-highest total in the country’s history, alongside that of Sir Kenny Dalglish.

His family said in a statement: “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.”

United posted on X: “Everyone at Manchester United is mourning the loss of Denis Law, the King of the Stretford End, who has passed away, aged 84. Our deepest condolences go out to Denis’s family and many friends. His memory will live on forever more.”

Former United captain Bryan Robson called him a “fantastic man”, adding in a column for the Daily Mail: “We have lost one of football’s giants both as a player and a gentleman. It’s incredibly sad.”

Gary Neville, another former United captain, described Law as the “a great footballer and a great man”, while Wayne Rooney, the club’s alltime record goalscorer, described him as a “legend” in a post on X. “Thoughts with all Denis’s family and friends,” added the 39-year-old.

Born in Aberdeen in February 1940, Law never actually played for a Scottish club. Instead he joined Huddersfield straight from school in 1955 before moving to Manchester City five years later for a then British record fee of £55,000. A year after that he was on the move again, joining Torino. Law’s time in Italy was an unhappy one off the pitch and, as such, it was no surprise that he quickly returned to England, moving to the red half of Manchester prior to the start of the 1962-63 season.

Law started his United career as he meant to go on, scoring on his debut against West Bromwich Albion in August 1962. The goals flowed, many of which were celebrated in what soon became trademark style – arm in the air, hand clutching sleeve, finger pointing at the sky. It was copied in playgrounds across Manchester as young United supporters – and many older ones, too – fell in a love with a striker who combined flair and skill with devastating ruthlessness.

Deployed alongside Best and Charlton in a United side masterfully constructed from the wreckage of Munich by Sir Matt Busby, Law scored the opening goal of the 1963 FA Cup final victory over Leicester and was crucial to the First Division title wins of 1965 and 1967. In 1964 he also won the Ballon d’or and, four years later, was primed to make the difference in the European Cup final but missed out on what was United’s defining success of the era due to a knee injury. It was a devastating blow for the then 28-year-old, with his mood perhaps only slightly lifted by Busby’s visit to his hospital bed the day after victory over Benfica at Wembley. The manager brought the European Cup with him.

The post-busby era was one of painful transition at United and Law struggled to adapt as much as anyone at the club. He returned to City on a free transfer in July 1973 and, a year later, scored the last and arguably most famous goal of his career – the backheel shot at Old Trafford that compounded United’s relegation to the Second Division. Law asked to be substituted soon after, such was his anguish at making the home crowd miserable, and it says everything about how much he was loved by United fans that many mobbed him as he departed from view. For them ‘the King’ remained a red, despite what he had just done in blue.

Law’s last game for Scotland came against Zaire at that summer’s World Cup in West Germany. His last goal, meanwhile, came in a 2-0 win against Northern Ireland in May 1972. An outstanding servant for his country, Law was rightly inducted into Scottish football’s hall of fame in 2004. Sir Alex Ferguson once described him as Scotland’s greatest ever player.

“Joe Jordan, who played with Law at the 1974 World Cup, described his former international teammate as a “special player” and “a proper icon for his ability to score goals,” adding: “Denis had an edge to him on the field, he would never be intimidated. He played against the best and came out on top on many, many occasions.”

Ultimately, it will be for what he did at United that Law is best remembered. Reacting to his dementia diagnosis, the club described him as a “legend” and that status is encapsulated in the two statues of Law, one on the Stretford End concourse and the other as part of the monument to the “Holy Trinity” that overlooks the stadium’s forecourt. In so many ways, Denis Law will never be forgotten by those who watched him play.