Denis Law: The squinting kid who grew into giant of global game
At the time, Law was one of the most respected players on the planet. He is also one of the most admired people in his country.
There was no shortage of football icons in Scotland at the time – the Lisbon Lions had just become immortal – but one day at Wembley in 1967 added to Law’s legend.
In defeating the then world champion, he elevated himself to the next level. Law didn’t just want to beat England, he wanted to beat them to a pulp and he made no secret of it.
A day that will live on forever when he scored 30 goals in 55 games during a career in Scotland that spanned 16 years.
That year, 1967, United won the league again, which was just a warm-up for 1968.
Sadly, Law missed out on the glory at Wembley and the excitement of Busby’s side winning the European Cup a decade after their tragic demise in Munich.
He was injured in the semi-finals and finals. His body began to fail. More frequent cortisone shots were needed to get him through this.
On the night of the final, he was recovering from knee surgery in a Manchester hospital. The next day, Busby arrived at his bedside with the trophy.
Law recovered and scored 30 points in 45 games during the 1968-69 season, but the great United side was about to unravel.
Busby leaves and is replaced by Wilf McGuinness. McGuinness leaves and is replaced by Frank O’Farrell. O’Farrell leaves and is replaced by Tommy Docherty.
The good times are over. And, soon, Law will disappear too.
It hurt him, no doubt about it. Although he had reached the end of the road, he returned to Manchester City.
In City’s final game of the 1973-74 season against relegated Manchester United at Old Trafford, Law scored with a back-heel to give City a 1-0 lead with nine minutes remaining.
Manchester United were relegated. The story has been retold many times, in almost poetic terms, about how Law decided the fate of his favorite club, but he didn’t.
Results elsewhere meant they would go down no matter what Law did, but it still bothered him. “I’ve rarely felt so depressed as I did that weekend,” he said later.
Law played in the 1974 World Cup and started the season with Manchester City, but he retired almost immediately on 10 August. His body had had enough.
His greatness was established long before he kicked his last ball and will be passed down from generation to generation and will live on forever.
