Denis Law’s flair, finesse and clinical touch would be the envy of today’s game
Denis Law was a footballer to epitomise the Swinging Sixties.
To Manchester United fans, The King. To rivals Denis the Menace.
Skilful and speedy. Scoring with the swagger of a showman in the most formidable of forward lines.
The trinity with George Best and Bobby Charlton, now no longer with us, but immortalised outside Old Trafford.
It was Law’s footballing home, never playing for a Scottish club despite being born in Aberdeen, where a statue remains.
Brought to England by Bill Shankly and making his Huddersfield debut at 16, transfer records were broken as he joined Manchester City, Torino in Italy and then Matt Busby’s United.
He was a catalyst for their post-Munich disaster recovery.
A Wembley goal helped to win the FA Cup in 1963 – starting the flow of silverware that the pre-Munich Busby team was destined for.
His clinical touch would be the envy of the game today.
The 46 goals scored in the 1963-64 season is still more than any United player in a single season – more even than later scoring sensations Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney.
It helped him claim the most prestigious individual honour in the game after being voted the Ballon d’Or winner – the first and only Scot to pick up the accolade.
After winning the league twice, his goals powered United to the 1968 European Cup final, although injury prevented him from appearing or even being at Wembley for the victory over Benfica.
And the troublesome knee led to United releasing him in 1973 – after 237 goals in 404 appearances.
“No way I wanted to leave,” he reflected. “I didn’t want to go”
But there was a move back across the blue half of Manchester – and ending the season against United, scoring a cheeky back-heeled goal as his old team were relegated, but not celebrating.
He finally made it to football’s biggest stage with Scotland.
The 1974 World Cup produced no goal for Law, but he remains Scotland’s most prolific scorer – on 30 goals along with Kenny Dalglish, but in far fewer games.
He was a hero to Sir Alex Ferguson, who idolised Law.
“He was the greatest Scots player of all time, no question,” the former United manager said in 2021, helping to unveil the statue of Law in Aberdeen.
That was one of Law’s last public appearances before living his final years like so many of his footballing friends with degenerative brain disease.
The struggle with Alzheimer’s and vascular dementia was announced in 2021.
But eternally, Denis Law is the Lawman – with the flair and finesse that made him one of football’s ultimate scorers.