Former Manchester United Scottish star striker Denis Law, legend of the English club, died at the age of 84 after suffering from Alzheimer’s for several years, his family reported this Friday.
“It is with great sadness that we announce that our father Denis Law has unfortunately passed away. He had a difficult fight, but now he rests in peace,” they said in a statement.
Law scored 237 goals in 404 games during the 11 years he wore the Manchester United shirt, until 1973. This made him the third highest scorer in the club’s history, surpassed only by Wayne Rooney and Bobby Charlton.
The Scotsman arrived at United in 1962, from Italian side Torino, at a time when the British institution was seeking to revive after the Munich plane crash, which cost the lives of several of its players in 1958.
Before his time in Italy, which began in 1961, he had made his debut at the age of 17 for Huddersfield and then played for Manchester City (1959-1961).
At Old Trafford, Law was part of the English champion teams in 1965 and 1967, in addition to winning the European Cup (current Champions League) in 1968.
His status as a myth of the entity is clear by the statue in his honor in front of the emblematic stadium, along with Best and Charlton.
His toughest moment in football was the knee injury that forced him to miss the historic 4-1 victory over Benfica in the European Cup final at Wembley, which ruled him out of playing on the night United became the first English team to champion Europe.
In 1973, he left “The Red Devils” to return to Manchester City. On April 28, 1974, he scored his last goal precisely against United, who were relegated to the second division regardless of that result.
Nicknamed by Manchester United fans as “The King”, he wore the colors of the Scottish national team on 55 occasions, since his debut with it in 1958, at just 18 years old.
Law won the Ballon d’Or in 1964 and, to this day, remains the top scorer in the history of the Scotland team, with 30 goals, tied with Kenny Dalglish.
Law decided to end his career in August 1974; By then, he had already etched his name in the history of football scorers.
After his playing career, he worked as a commentator and presenter for football matches. He was at Best’s hospital bedside before his death in 2005.
Law recovered from prostate cancer and was appointed Commander of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth II in 2016, in recognition of his services to football and charity. In 2021, he was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, a disease he suffered from until his death.