Manchester United legend Denis Law talks about the highs and lows of his extraordinary career, his close friendship with George Best and Sir Alex Ferguson’s legacy.
The man striding across the reception area of a prominent hotel in St Julian’s, wearing a light blue shirt and jeans, looks like the archetypal British tourist to the undiscerning eye.
Not if you are a Manchester United fan.
His relaxed demeanour, his gait, his smile, even his hair, are the same as in the halcyon days when his eye for goal made him one of the most feared strikers in world football.
Forty years have passed since Denis Law brought the curtains down on his glittering career but he is still revered by the United fans.
This was very much in evidence last week when the United followers in Malta gave Law a hero’s reception during a social event marking the 55th anniversary of the Manchester United Supporters’ Club (MUSC).
His current role as a Manchester United ambassador certainly suits Law, given his status as a club legend, but he is not the type to bask in personal glory.
“I think it’s something nice to have something like that said about you but I don’t take a great deal of notice about that because we were a team where we had, well again, several of probably the best players in the league with George Best and Bobby Charlton in particular,” Law said in an interview with Times of Malta as he reminisced on his golden years as a Manchester United player.
“But not only those two (Best and Charlton), the whole team was based around good defence and good midfield and everyone sort of was fighting for each other.
“And I think it was really nice in the fact that in that particular time, when you think in 1958, 10 years before (United won their first European Cup), where Sir Matt Busby had lost half of this team (in the Munich air tragedy) and he was rebuilding the team and then took them up with players like George and Bobby, Nobby (Stiles) and Pat Crerand.
“You know you can’t really miss anyone out, just the whole team and we played extremely well for a few years.
“Then we had a bit of a lapse where the team was not replaced and Sir Matt was getting a bit older but otherwise it was lovely to be involved in that particular time in Manchester United’s history.
“And with a Scottish manager as well.
“So yes it was a lovely time for the game, it was nice for them to come back.
“And then, many years later of course, ‘grumpy’ Mr Ferguson arrived and went on for the next, what, 26 years. There were a few managers in between those but he (Ferguson) had the same philosophy as Sir Matt Busby. He wanted the youth to come into the game and that would be the basis of the club for years to come which they did do, of course.
“Like the 95 team, the Beckhams and Nevilles, Nicky Butt, my man, midfield player (Paul) Scholes... it was really a special time for the club.”
Law is pleased to still be involved with Manchester United in an ambassadorial role.
“Yes, I am. These last few years I’ve had a bit of an ambassador role but it’s really nice,” he said.
“The people who watch and support Manchester United throughout the world is phenomenal really. There’s only a handful of teams I would say that that happens to, you’ve got the Real Madrids, you’ve got the Barcelonas but not many, so it’s nice to be involved in that.”
During his 11-year spell with United, Law, who made 55 appearances for Scotland, won several honours, including two league titles and one FA Cup.
An inductee of the English Football Hall of Fame, Law was also named European Footballer of the Year in 1964.
In Law’s time, a visit to Wembley to play in an FA Cup final was a very proud moment in a player’s career and he regards his goal-scoring contribution to United’s 3-1 win over Leicester in the 1963 cup showdown as the highlight of his footballing odyssey.
As for the low points, these are... missing the 4-1 win over Benfica in the 1967-68 European Cup final, at Wembley, and his retirement from football in 1974.
“Actually, having to finish playing or coming to an age when you knew you couldn’t do it anymore that was probably the most disappointing,” Law reflected.
“People say to me today: Would you like to be playing in today’s game? I say well only for a few months and I then I’d retire for the rest of my life. Nobody kicking me for whatever...
“(It’s a) different game today as you well imagine. But it was lovely to be a football player in those days, getting paid to do something that you really enjoy. And yes if I was 50 years younger.. wouldn’t we all!
“We had several high points with Manchester United. There was a club that was in ruins and to play at Wembley was, in those particular days, just something that you would dream of.
“We went there... I supposed it changed through the years but the fact that you played at Wembley and you won the game and you actually scored the goal was a young kid’s dream.
“I don’t think this is sort of glamorous as it is used to be and so many things have happened. In 1963, I was only a young man. That was really something special to play at Wembley and win the cup final.
In 1963, I was only a young man. That was really something special to play at Wembley and win the cup final
“I think probably the lowest point was missing the final of the European Cup in those days because of injury. So that was a bit disappointing, yes.”
Nicknamed ‘The King’ for his scoring exploits, Law is still universally acclaimed as one of the most gifted strikers to don the famous red shirt.
Law was at pains to pick one United striker that reminds him most of himself.
“It’s not for me to say that,” he replied. “(Wayne) Rooney must be in the category, they need him very much. (Robin) Van Persie has done marvellous since he came but through the years there have been some very good players in that role.
“When you think of the number of titles Alex has won, they go with a very good team, don’t they?”
Law is still second in United’s all-time scorers list with 237 goals in 404 appearances but he expects Rooney, currently on 214 goals, to eclipse not only his total but also Charlton’s magical 249 mark.
“To be fair when he (Rooney) joined the club (in 2004), I said at the time he was a player that... well he’s playing in a position that you do tend to get a few knocks if you are a striker but if he kept away from injury, he would become the highest scorer of Man. United,” Law remarked.
“And I said that at the time when he signed... well, it was probably about one season at the club. And I said if he stays away from injury, he could be the highest goalscorer.
“He’s very near. I’m not surprised if he keeps fit he could beat the records.
“You could imagine, starting at 18... that gives you a four years’ difference.. I was what 22, 23 (when joining United).”
It speaks volumes of Law’s footballing qualities that he is still regarded as Scotland’s best player ever. In his contribution to Denis Law – King and Country, written by Alex Gordon, Ferguson wrote: “He was the finest player that Scotland has ever produced and one of the greatest the world has ever seen. He was my idol as a player.”
The two Scots have forged a close relationship over the years with Law jokingly describing Sir Alex as “ grumpy” before paying tribute to his footballing values and incredible legacy as Manchester United manager.
“He’s always been grumpy, isn’t he?,” Law remarked wryly when asked about his relationship with Sir Alex.
“Nothing has changed. He is in the sort of mould of Sir Matt Busby, not the same character but the same ideas of getting youth into the game and playing attacking football, exciting football, so the people who pay good money are enjoying the game.
“And again, he didn’t start off too well and I suppose in today’s game things could have been quite serious but they knew that there was a special person there and it’s been proved, by doing that they turn out to have the most successful manager in British football.”
United won a record 20th Premier League title in Ferguson’s last season but they are enduring a torrid season under David Moyes.
Law is adamant that Moyes needs time to stamp his mark on the team.
“I think the confidence hasn’t been there for a while but then you look at the team and they’ve got probably the best away record in the league of any team,” Law said.
“It’s incredible. In any job, people come in, it changes the whatever, it’s always a bit difficult. I think they are back on anyway.
“I’m not that expert to suggest what is needed... I have never been on the managerial side.
“Somebody coming into the club, it’s a huge club as well and it takes a wee bit of time.”
Moyes struggles
Like all the United fans who have stood by Moyes, Law is hoping that the ‘Chosen One’ will prove his worth next season but warned that success in football can’t be taken for granted.
“Well I think everybody is hoping that (Moyes turns things around),” Law said.
“In football, teams come in runs. A team has a good run... you can’t win all the time, you like to play your best.
“Things have not gone too well (for United) but they will come back. They are a huge club, they will fight back and they will come back playing good football.
“And everybody is an expert aren’t they when they get beat... like why didn’t he do this, why didn’t he do that. It’s easy after the event. We are great referees when we watch the telly, we don’t miss anything really. We are all experts.”
A key component of what United supporters proudly refer to as the ‘Holy Trinity’, a statue of Law, Bobby Charlton and George Best sits opposite that of Sir Matt Busby outside Old Trafford.
There was a distinct change in Law’s jovial tone when he spoke about his friendship with Best. Law was at Best’s bedside when the United icon died in 2005 after a long illness.
“I know. That was a very sad day,” Law said of the final hours of Best’s life.
“Not only for me, for his family. When you lose one of the best players the world has ever seen. Yes, sad day.”
A smile settled across Law’s face when he recalled how Best would ignore his pleas to pass the ball.
“I would shout for the ball and he wouldn’t give it to me. Then I would give him a bit of a volley and then he would go and score,” Law said.
“So, I felt, well I’d better forget that. I’ll stop complaining about that... I got used to him.
“I think he caused my injury as well because every time I went for the ball thinking he’s going to give it to me and then he didn’t, and then I twisted. I think he gave me a few injuries on the way.
“We were very good friends, extremely good friends, not when he didn’t pass it to me but other than that, I let him off with that.”
Best is considered as one of the finest players ever to grace the Beautiful Game. His individual brilliance was rewarded with a host of honours during his spell with United but, like Welsh stalwart Ryan Giggs, he didn’t have the chance to play in a World Cup or Euro Championship as Northern Ireland have hardly tasted any success in international football.
Law has no doubt that Best was in the same class as Pele and Diego Maradona.
“You’ve got to be that,” Law said.
“He got the recognition but he would have got a lot more recognition had the national team he played for done well. And they had a good team as well in that particular time but it wasn’t to be.
“As I was just saying to Alex (United marketing executive) as we were coming over in the plane, something of the things you do miss... I personally miss, apart from being Scottish and the money – yes we miss the money, the state of the pitches today are just unbelievable.
“By mid-November, there were no pitches anymore. Now it’s like Wembley every game.
“When you think of that and you think how would George Best and Bobby Charlton play on those pitches today, if they had those in those days, you would have seen something special again.
“The state of the grounds is just phenomenal for football players but of course it was the same for everybody in those days, there was no exception or whatever, you just had to get on with it and do what you can but when you look at the state of the pitches today, they are fantastic.”
The Premier League is set for an enthralling finale as three clubs, Liverpool, now five points clear at the top, Chelsea and Manchester City are battling it out for the title.
Invited to name his favourites for the title, Law replied: “I haven’t got a clue... it could well be any of the three.”
Manchester United are one of the best-supported clubs on the Maltese islands and the local supporters’ branch (MUSC) is the oldest United fan club in the world.
“When you tell people back home that Malta is one of the most supportive countries of Manchester United, people ask Malta, and I say they have been for very a long, long time,” Law said before casting his mind back to United’s 1967-68 European Cup match against local club Hibernians at the Empire Stadium
“What was the score when we played here in 1968 (67)?” he enquired.“0-0” came the reply.
“... we felt sorry for them that day.”
Roll of honour
Club
FA Cup: 1963
Football League First Division: 1964–65, 1966–67
European Cup: 1967–68
Individual
European Footballer of the Year: 1964
Inaugural Inductee of the English Football Hall of Fame: 2002
Scotland’s Golden Player: Most Outstanding Player of the past 50 years by the Scottish FA (November 2003).
Denis Law on...
Sir Alex Ferguson
“He is in the sort of mould of Sir Matt Busby, not the same character but the same ideas of getting youth into the game and playing attacking football, exciting football, so the people who pay good money are enjoying the game.”
George Best
“I would shout for the ball and he wouldn’t give it to me. Then I would give him a bit of a volley and then he would go and score. So, I felt well I’d better forget that. I’ll stop complaining about that... I got used to him.”