Denis Law was an extraordinary footballing talent with an indomitable spirit
At one season at Manchester United, Denis Law scored 30 goals in 30 games
At 15, Denis Law was a small, apparently fragile teenager who wore glasses. He seemed an unlikely candidate to become Scotland’s greatest-ever footballer.
It took another footballing genius, the great manager Bill Shankly, to spot his talent, signing him for Huddersfield Town. So began an astonishing career that saw him play for Manchester United and City, Torino and Scotland.
In one season at United, he scored 30 goals in 30 games, putting him at least on a par with modern-day stars like Mo Salah and Erling Haaland. If only Scotland had such a striker today.
Shankly called him the “quickest-thinking footballer I have ever seen”. For the great Pele, he was the only British player good enough to get into Brazil’s national side. Dennis Bergkamp’s father named his son after Law, although the registrar insisted on adding a second ‘n’ to the name.
At his funeral in Manchester yesterday, the football community paid their respects, following his death at 84. Law was a truly extraordinary footballer and will always be a shining example of an indomitable human spirit. Scotland will not forget.
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