Denis Law, the king of Man United's 'holy trinity'

Law, who died on Friday at the age of 84, joined forces with Bobby Charlton and George Best to inspire United's 1960s rebirth from the ashes of the Munich disaster. Law's time with United was a golden era and a statue -- his finger pointed to the air in trademark celebration alongside Charlton and Best -- stands outside Old Trafford to commemorate his iconic 11-year stay.

With 237 goals in 404 appearances in all competitions, Law ranks as the third-highest scorer in United's history. Nicknamed 'the king' by fans, Law was the first of only four United players to win the coveted Ballon d'Or - he earned the prize for Europe's top player in 1964 - and in 2003 was voted Scotland's "most outstanding player of the past 50 years".

Alex Ferguson, United's most successful manager, was awed by his compatriot's predatory instincts. "To me, Denis is the best Scottish player without question. He was so lightning quick and had such reflexes that there was nothing he couldn't achieve in the penalty box," Ferguson said. "A cross would come and he'd jack-knife up out of nothing and knock a header in. He had a combination of incredible reactions, timing and awareness."

Law was born in Aberdeen in 1940, the son of a trawlerman and the youngest of seven children. He honed his skills using a ball of wool tied to his mother's clothes and by age 15 his precocious talent was noticed by Huddersfield Town. "We lived in a place called Printfield Terrace. The manager of Huddersfield was a guy called Andy Beattie, who was from Aberdeen. His brother lived in Printfield Walk, just across the road," Law said. "He must have seen me playing for the school, spoke to my mum and dad and said that they'd like me to go to a place called Huddersfield which was, of course, on the other side of the world! And that's when it all started."

Law was still only 16 when Bill Shankly gave him his Huddersfield debut in the Second Division and he progressed so quickly he won the first of 55 Scotland caps two years later. He went on to net 30 times for Scotland, remaining their all-time joint top scorer with Kenny Dalglish to this day. In 1960, Law, just 20, moved to Manchester City for what was then a British record fee of £53,000. He scored 21 goals in 15 months with City before making a then British record £110,000 move to Torino.

 

January 17, 2025

Starring role

Law's ill-fated spell in Italy ended after a year, with the final straw a car crash that left team-mate Joe Baker, who had been driving the pair back from a late night out, needing life-saving surgery. Law joined United for a then club-record £115,000 to find a team struggling for an identity in the aftermath of the Munich air crash that claimed the lives of several players in 1958.

United manager Matt Busby, one of the survivors of that tragedy, was determined to build another great team and Law would take a starring role. He needed just seven minutes to score on his debut, netted in United's FA Cup final win over Leicester at the end of his maiden season and went on to bag 46 goals the following year. Within three years, Law, Best and Charlton led a title-winning campaign and by 1968 United were the kings of Europe.

United's 'holy trinity' played some of the finest football ever seen in England and established a commitment to an attacking style that remains part of the club's DNA. A cartilage injury forced Law to miss the famous 4-1 thrashing of Benfica at Wembley - a triumph that made United the first English winners of the European Cup. But Law remained an integral part of the team and Busby labelled him as "the greatest Manchester United player of all time".

Busby had stepped down by the time Law was released by United manager Tommy Docherty and accepted an offer to return to City in 1973. United's decision came back to haunt them a year later when Docherty's side had to beat City at Old Trafford to keep alive their hopes of avoiding relegation. With a late, back-heeled effort, Law scored the only goal of the game and refused to celebrate in the belief he had relegated the club which made him a legend.

Results elsewhere meant Man United would have been relegated whatever the result, but Law was devastated. "I was inconsolable. I didn't want it to happen. How long did the feeling last? How long ago was the game? Thirty-odd years. There is your answer," Law said in 2010. It was the last goal Law scored in a competitive match as he retired after playing for Scotland at his only World Cup a few months later.

 

January 17, 2025