Sir Alex Ferguson hailed Denis Law as the ‘greatest Scottish player of all time’ and described him as the ‘cornerstone’ of Manchester United’s success.
Law, who won two league titles with United and was a member of their European Cup-winning side under Sir Matt Busby in 1968 when they became the first English club to lift the trophy, has died Friday at the age of 84.
Law won the Ballon d’Or in 1964 – the only Scottish player to win it – and went on to win 55 caps for his country.
“He was the best Scottish player of all time,” said Ferguson, who oversaw 13 Premier League titles and two Champions League triumphs during his remarkable trophy-laden period as United manager.
“He was a fantastic player and an incredible human being. The good thing is he didn’t use his fame, he was so level-headed and down to earth and we’re talking about a guy who’s had all these caps for Scotland and is called the “King of Old Trafford”.
“It’s an interesting thing because why did they call him the king? There were guys like George Best, Bobby Charlton – the greatest English player of all time and a fantastic player for our club – and they called Denis ‘the king’.
“It was something to do with determination and the will to win every time he went on that football field. He was a truly competitive human being and it was natural for the fans to associate themselves with him as their king.
Law left Turin for Old Trafford in 1962 before scoring 237 times, the club’s third highest goalscorer in history behind Wayne Rooney and Charlton.
A year after winning the 1964 Ballon d’Or, Law helped United win their first Division 1 title since the Munich air disaster.
Having already won the FA Cup in 1963, Law inspired United to another league title in 1966-67 before Busby’s side’s greatest achievement – European Cup glory – against Benfica.
Law was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia in 2021.
Ferguson, 83, speaking to the United club website, continued: “I went to see him a few months ago and he wasn’t well.
“When he joined us he transformed the club and it was the greatest thing he could have done.
“Sir Matt was recovering from the Munich air disaster and they won their first trophy in 1963, shortly after signing Denis. He was essential to the renovation of the team. He was the cornerstone of the club’s future success.