Denis Law: The ‘puny’ youngster who became a Manchester United great

The story of Denis Law’s life is a tale of the pauper who became ‘The King’.

The Manchester United and Scotland great, who has died aged 84, was the youngest of seven children when 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.

He did not receive his first pair of football boots until the age of 16, but those frugal beginnings did nothing to limit a career that would one day see him 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.

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,” Terriers manager Andy Beattie was quoted as saying at the time. “Never did I see a less likely football prospect – weak, puny and bespectacled.”

“There was no one more surprised than me when they told me they’d like me to sign,” Law later said.

But 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, while his record of 19 goals over four seasons was hardly prolific, 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.

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.

This time – as he became one of the few to have played for both United’s great Scot Busby and future Liverpool boss Shankley – the fit was perfect.

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 as they eventually become one of the most famed attacking triumvirates the English game has ever seen.

A year after he claimed the 1964 Ballon d’Or – becoming the only Scotsman to lift the prize – 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.

As Law’s powers began to fade, so too did United’s. After 11 seasons in red, in which he scored 237 goals in 404 appearances, making him the club’s third-highest scorer of all time behind Wayne Rooney and Charlton, Law decided to return to City.

Although he played the majority of his career south of the border, Law’s devotion to Scotland was never in doubt and he remains their joint-record scorer with 30 goals, alongside Kenny Dalglish.

While Dalglish’s total came from more than 100 caps, though, Law amassed his in just 55.

He 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 which saw the Scots crowned ‘unofficial champions of the world’.

The CBE he received at Buckingham Palace in 2016 was another reminder just how far ‘The King’ had come since his days as a barefooted youngster.

Law revealed in August 2021 he had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and Vascular dementia.

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