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Denis Law: Biography, Facts and Career

Who is Denis Law? An evergreen, sourced profile: biography, key facts and career.

By the Pop Culture Files editorial team4 min read✓ Fact-checked
Denis Law
Danny Molyneux via Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0

Denis Law (24 February 1940 – 17 January 2025) was a Scottish footballer who played as a forward. His career as a football player began at Second Division Huddersfield Town in 1956. After four years at Huddersfield, he was signed by Manchester City for an estimated transfer fee of £55,000, which set a new British record. Law spent one year there before Torino bought him for £110,000, this time setting a new record fee for a transfer involving a British player. Although he played well in Italy, he found it difficult to settle there and signed for Manchester United in 1962, setting another British record transfer fee of £115,000. Law spent 11 years at Manchester United, where he scored 237 goals in 404 appearances. His goals tally places him third in the club's history, behind Wayne Rooney and Bobby Charlton. He was nicknamed "The King" and "The Lawman" by supporters, and "Denis the Menace" by opposing supporters. Law was also known as part of the "United Trinity", along with Charlton and George Best. He is the only Scottish player to have won the Ballon d'Or award, doing so in 1964, and helped his club win the First Division in 1965 and 1967, as well as the FA Cup in 1963 and two Charity Shields. He missed their European Cup final triumph in 1968 through injury. Law left Manchester United in 1973 to return to Manchester City for a season, and represented Scotland at the 1974 FIFA World Cup. He played only two competitive games in the 1974–75 season, retiring before the start of the League programme proper. Law played for Scotland a total of 55 times and jointly holds the Scottish international record goal tally with 30 goals. Law holds a Manchester United record for scoring 46 competitive goals in a single season.

Quick facts about Denis Law

  • Full name: Denis Law
  • Born: 1940-02-24
  • Nationality: United Kingdom
  • Known as: Athlete
  • Wikidata ID: Q233565

Profile compiled from public Wikipedia and Wikidata data. Details can change over time.

Frequently asked questions

Who is Denis Law?

Denis Law (24 February 1940 – 17 January 2025) was a Scottish footballer who played as a forward.

What nationality is Denis Law?

Denis Law is United Kingdom.

When was Denis Law born?

Denis Law was born on 1940-02-24.

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