Sir Alex Ferguson fights back tears to pay emotional tribute to Man Utd legend Denis Law
Manchester United icons paid tribute to the legendary Denis Law during his funeral on Tuesday afternoon with former boss Sir Alex Ferguson also among those to have paid some touching words
Sir Alex Ferguson fought back tears today as he paid tribute to his “hero” Denis Law.
Speaking at the former Manchester United and Scotland legend’s funeral, Sir Alex said: “'He would fight his granny for a goal. He had so much courage. A skinny guy standing by all those big defenders.”
He added: “Trying to place Denis in the pantheon of all time greats is a challenge. But it is made easier by Pele. He was asked if there was a British player who could get in the [great] Brazil team. He said Denis Law - which is a fantastic tribute.”
Thousands had lined the streets of Manchester as football fans from both United and City paid tribute to “The King”. Sir Alex also said: “He loved Scotland and he loved beating England. He once lined up before a game against England. He loved Nobby Stiles and Nobby worshipped him. Nobby came bounding down the tunnel and wished Denis all the best. Denis gave him a withering look and let off a volley of abuse Nobby never forgot.”
Players past and present turned out in force as the city united to pay their respects to the legendary striker who died last month aged 84. Mourners at Manchester Cathedral included United’s current boss Ruben Amorim alongside players Harry Maguire and Bruno Fernandes.
READ MORE: Man Utd legends lead mourners at Denis Law's funeral three weeks after Scottish icon's deathREAD MORE: Sir Alex Ferguson delivers beautiful tribute to Denis Law - 'King of Old Trafford'Ex-players including Wayne Rooney, Gary Neville, Nicky Butt and Paul Scholes also attended the moving service. And footballing legends including Sir Kenny Dalglish, Mike Summerbee, Alex Stepney, Bryan Robson and Brian Kidd were also among the mourners.
Sir Rod Stewart sent a blue bouquet in the shape of the Scottish flag, with the message: “You are, and always will be, my footballing hero.”
A bouquet of red and white flowers from United simply said: “RIp Denis, the King, love MUFC.” Many Real Madrid fans - in the city for their team’s Champions League match against City - also paid their respects,
Share your tributes to Dennis Law using the comments below? Share your thoughts in the comments below
Law made up one third of the famous “United Trinity” alongside fellow greats George Best and Sir Bobby Charlton. His goalscoring prowess earned him the nickname “The King of the Stretford End” among fans.
He also remains the only Scotsman to have won the award for being the world ’s best player, the Ballon d’Or. Law had been living with Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia for more than three years when he died.
Outside the cathedral former United keeper Alex Stepney said: “He was great, absolutely brilliant. He was a top guy as well. It’s very rare to get someone like Denis.”
Stepney arrived with ex-City star Mike Summerbee, who said: “We are talking about one of the greatest footballers we’ve ever seen. He was a gentleman too. He was an amazing player, we will miss him.”
Brian Kidd, who also played for both United and City, said: “As a player he had such personality on the pitch. Off the pitch he was a character, a wonderful person. He could be quite shy, but you wouldn’t know that if you saw him on the pitch. He was wonderful, very humble, I’ll never forget him.”
And ex-United keeper Peter Schmeichel said: “What a man, I'll repeat that, what a man! I feel very lucky that I got to know him a bit. What a character and what a personality he was. There are five names that resonate through Manchester United ’s history, and his is one of those. He was The King.”
Before heading to the cathedral the hearse and funeral procession passed by Old Trafford - pausing for a few minutes by the United Trinity statue. Hundreds of fans burst into applause to show their love for the former striker. The club also opened a book of condolence where fans could leave their personal tributes.
Law spent 11 years at United, scoring 237 goals in 404 appearances. He won two league titles with United and was a member of their European Cup-winning side under Sir Matt Busby in 1968. He also scored 30 times for Scotland, where he remains their joint top scorer alongside Kenny Dalglish.
Law was the youngest of seven children, born in Aberdeen on February 24, 1940 and grew up in poverty. Raised by fisherman father George and mother Robina in a tiny council flat, he went barefoot until the age of 12.
When he finally did receive his first pair of shoes, they were hand-me-downs that had previously belonged to his three brothers. He did not receive his first pair of football boots until the age of 16.
Despite his sight being badly affected by a serious squint, the football-obsessed youngster got his big break in 1954 when he was spotted by Huddersfield scout Archie Beattie. Their then manager Andy Beattie was quoted as saying at the time. “Never did I see a less likely football prospect - weak, puny and bespectacled.”
Due to his sight problems Law would dart about the pitch with one eye shut just to see straight until the club paid for surgery to correct his squint. Manchester City paid a British record transfer fee of £55,000 for his services in 1960, scoring 24 goals in 50 appearances.
After a spell in Italy with Torino,.Sir Matt Busby offered him the chance to return to Manchester. He signed for United in the summer of 1962. The Red Devils were rebuilding following the devastation of the 1958 Munich air disaster.
The combination of Law, Best and Charlton saw United become one of the most famed attacking teams the English game has ever seen. In 1964 he claimed the 1964 Ballon d’Or - becoming the only Scotsman to lift the prize.
After 11 seasons in red Law decided to return to City. He scored a famous back-heeled goal against United, which he refused to celebrate, on the day they were relegated to the Second Division.
Contrary to urban myths, it was not the goal which sent United down. Law revealed in August 2021 he had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and Vascular dementia. He is survived by his wife Diana, sons Gary, Andrew, Robert and Iain and daughter Diana.
Join our new MAN UTD WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Manchester United content from Mirror Football. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
Sky has slashed the price of its Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle in an unbeatable new deal that saves £192 and includes 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more.