Denis Law the last of Man Utd’s Holy Trinity, a legend immortalised in stone who Busby called football’s ‘most exciting’

HE was the last survivor of Manchester United’s “Holy Trinity”.

A legend, remembered in stone, his hand thrust skywards as he stands for ever beside his two pals, in front of the ground he graced for so long.

And now that Denis Law has joined George Best and Bobby Charlton in death, a shadow will hang over the club.

Like his two greatest colleagues, “The Lawman” was not born in Manchester.

His first steps were in Aberdeen and United were his FOURTH club - after Huddersfield, Manchester City and Torino.

Where Charlton and Best both joined United as 15-year-olds, Law was 22 and already a seasoned international - indeed, caretaker Scotland boss Matt Busby gave him his debut in 1958.

But from the moment he walked through the United door, after a British record £115,000 move from the Turin club, he was at home.

Law scored after just seven minutes of his debut, a 2-2 home draw with West Brom, the first of 237 goals in 404 United games - a total only exceeded by Charlton and Wayne Rooney.

Busby later recalled: “When I signed Denis I knew that we had the most exciting player in the game.

“He was the quickest-thinking player I ever saw, seconds quicker than anyone else.

“Denis had the most tremendous acceleration and could leap to enormous heights to head the ball with almost unbelievable accuracy and often the power of a shot.

“He had the courage to take on the biggest and most ferocious of opponents and his passing was impeccable.

“No other player scored as many miracle goals as Denis Law.

“Goals which looked simple as Denis tapped them in, were simple only because Denis got himself into position so quickly that opponents just couldn't cope with him.”

Rare praise but words that reverberated through the years, expanding in their power with each passing season.

What stunned many rival fans was Law’s remarkable ability to hang in the air, levitating himself into the skies before heading into the net.

In his first six seasons at United, his WORST return was 24 goals, while he netted an incredible 46 in just 42 appearances in all competitions in 1963-64 - a season when United did not win any silverware.

The previous campaign, his first at Old Trafford, he had scored the opener in the 3-1 FA Cup Final win over Leicester, the only time he was to win the trophy.

And the next year, with Best integrated into the United fold, saw Law score 28 in the league and 39 in total as United became champions for the sixth time, nudging out Leeds on goal difference.

A second title was to follow two years later, a 20-match unbeaten run, beginning the day after a Boxing Day defeat at Sheffield United, seeing off the challenge of Nottingham Forest and Spurs.

Law, top scorer once again, was at the heart of everything, although a knee injury meant he missed out on being part of the crowning glory of the Busby era, the 1968 European Cup Final win over Benfica.

It later transpired he had not been told of a specialist’s opinion that a knee cartilage operation had failed and needed to be repeated.

The injury was to dog the rest of his career.

Law stayed at United until 1973, seeing Best’s focus disappear and Charlton retire, before he moved back to City on a free transfer.

Nine months later, he was at the centre of one of football’s most famous inaccurate “facts”.

Legend has it that his back heel at the Stretford End in the late-season Manchester derby sent United through the relegation trapdoor.

In fact, they would have gone down in any event because of results elsewhere.

That summer, for one game only and unlike Best, he got the chance to play on the greatest stage of all.

But after a sub-par display in the narrow 2-0 win over Zaire, Willie Ormond left him out of the games with Brazil and Yugoslavia.

His international career finished after 55 appearances and a then-record - now shared with Kenny Dalglish - 30 goals and within weeks he had retired from the game, although he became a popular TV pundit.

Looking back on his days at United, Law said: “When you play with great players the game is easier.

“I was very fortunate to play alongside some of the greatest players in the world at that particular time, and for probably the greatest manager in the world, so I’ve been very lucky.”

Not as lucky as those who got the chance to see him play. They still tell their children and grandchildren about him.