‘Failing to make the World Cup in 1966 is my biggest regret’

WEMB-GLEE: Tartan terror Denis Law scored in 

the 3-2 defeat of World Cup holders England in 1967.

18 Jan 2025

The Press and Journal (Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire)

BY SEAN WALLACE

I LOVED THE WAY HE PLAYED, 

THE WAY HE SCORED GOALS, 

AND THE WAY HE CELEBRATED. 

I WANTED TO BE JUST LIKE HIM

   – fellow Scotland top scorer Kenny Dalglish

Playing for his country was the “ultimate accolade” for Denis Law and eclipsed his Ballon d’Or and trophy wins. The Lawman won two English League titles, the FA Cup and European Cup with Manchester United and was named European Player of the Year in 1963. 

Yet none of those achievements matched the honour of wearing the dark blue of Scotland.

Capped 55 times, he is Scotland’s joint all-time leading scorer on 30 goals.

He said in 2012: “Being selected for Scotland is the greatest honour I have ever had.

“I won a few things over the years but to represent my country was the ultimate accolade for me.

“Pulling on that dark blue shirt meant absolutely everything to me.”

A debut cap came when selected by Sir Matt Busby, who would later manage him at Manchester United, for a 3-0 defeat of Wales in Cardiff on October 1958. Law discovered he was to become the youngest Scot to be capped so far that century from a newspaper vendor in Huddersfield.

He netted on his international debut and would star for his country weeks later, in a 2-2 draw with Northern Ireland.

An undoubted highlight of Law’s international career was the legendary 3-2 defeat of newly crowned world champions England at Wembley in 1967.

Law, Bobby Lennox and Jim McCalliog scored as the rampant Scots ripped the World Cup holders apart on their own turf.

Law said: “We were playing England at the ground where they had recently won the World Cup. But we had absolutely no fear of them.

“The atmosphere was fantastic and it felt like there were more Scots than English at Wembley that day.

“The noise from our fans when my goal went in was unbelievable.” 

Despite an array of world-class players, Scotland failed to qualify for the World Cup in 1966 (England) and 1970 (Mexico).

It remained a regret for Law that he never got the chance to star on the world’s biggest stage when in his prime.

Although he played in the 1974 World Cup with Scotland, Law was entering the twilight of his glittering career.

He starred against Zaire in a 2-0 Group win but was to sit out the 1-1 draw with defending World Cup champions Brazil and a 1-1 draw with Yugoslavia.

Scotland missed out on qualifying for the group stages on goal difference.

Zaire was to be Law’s final appearance for his country.

He said: “Failing to make the World Cup in ’66, especially as it was in England, and then ’70, is my biggest regret.

“Scotland had such a great team with some superb players so missing out was painful.

“Had we qualified for the 1966 World Cup, it would have been like playing at home and who knows what could have happened then?

“Qualifying for a World Cup was very hard but if we had made it I am sure Scotland would have done well.

“The biggest disappointments of my career are based around international football, not club.”

Sixteen years after his international debut, Law did finally play in a World Cup when facing Zaire.

Not only was it to be his last ever Scotland appearance, it was his last in professional football as he retired after the World Cup.

He said: “The ’74 World Cup was beautiful for me because it meant I finally got to go there.

“It was just unfortunate that it came at the wrong end of my career and I was past my best.

“However, my place in the squad was justified, because I had played well in the 1973-74 season despite a few injuries.

“Even though that game was against Zaire, playing for Scotland on that stage meant so much to me. We hadn’t qualified for the World Cup since 1958, so it was so important for the nation to be back.

“I was extremely disappointed to be left on the bench for Brazil as I played the entire 90 minutes against Zaire and felt I had done well.

“Scotland had a strong squad at that World Cup and we were to become the first side not to qualify from the group stages despite being unbeaten. Sadly, we lost out by a single goal.”   

***

Teen’s dream Scots debut

Manchester United’s legendary manager Sir Matt Busby handed a teenage Denis Law his international debut – four years before he signed him at Old Trafford.

It was the beginning of a relationship that was to shape Aberdonian Denis’s extraordinary career.

Denis said: “Sir Matt gave me my first Scotland cap when I was just 18.


“He had nearly died from his injuries sustained during the terrible plane crash in Munich in February 1958.

“Yet, Sir Matt made a remarkable recovery and was appointed Scotland manager that October.

“He was not that long out of hospital. Back in those days, managers were often in charge of a club team as well as a national side. He said: “To know at the age of 18 that a manager of Sir Matt’s standing thought I was one of the best 11 players in Scotland was fantastic.

“I grabbed my first international goal in that game as I jumped for the ball with Dave Bowen. “His headed clearance hit me on the head and flew in past the keeper. “But the game passed so quickly,” recalled Law.