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.

Raised by fisherman father George and mother Robina in a tiny council flat, he went barefoot until the age of 12 and, when he finally did receive his first pair of shoes, they were hand-me-downs that had previously belonged to his three brothers.

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.

Having turned down a place at Aberdeen Grammar School – where rugby was the only sport on offer – the football-obsessed youngster got his big break in 1954 when he was spotted by Huddersfield scout Archie Beattie, who by chance was visiting a relative in the Grannite City when he came across Law.

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.”

But Beattie saw enough potential to sign Law and even pay for surgery to correct his squint.

“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.

It was with City that Law gave the first real glimpse of the fearlessness that would make him such a lethal predator, throwing his head into places meeker players would not dare dip their foot as he hunted after goals.

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.

Sir Matt Busby offered him the escape route he was desperate for and he returned to Manchester to sign for United in the summer of 1962.

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.

Recalling United’s ‘Holy Trinity’, former team-mate Paddy Crerand said: “Right away you could see the great chemistry between them. Great players know how to play together. However tough the match was, you always knew Bobby could unleash one of his strikes from God-knows-where, Denis would make something out of nothing inside the box or George would just do something magical.”

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.

An injured Law had to sit out that win over Benfica at Wembley in 1968 as United became the first English team to lift the famous trophy.

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.

He scored a famous back-heeled goal against his old side, which he declined to celebrate, on the day they were relegated to the Second Division, but, contrary to the urban myths that have built up in the years since, it was not the final blow which sent United down.

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’.

In the years after his retirement Law worked as a broadcaster as well as for numerous charities, but his rich history was never forgotten and he has been inducted into both the Scottish and English football halls of fame.

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.