Gary Neville, Wayne Rooney and Sir Alex Ferguson were among the footballing names who came together to pay respects to Denis Law at his funeral in Manchester on Tuesday. The much-loved footballer, who played for Man Utd and Scotland, died last month, aged 84, after being diagnosed with Alzheimer's and dementia in 2021. Law remains the only Scottish player to have ever won the Ballon d’Or and no man has scored more goals for the national team.
Sir Alex Ferguson and current United head coach Ruben Amorim joined fans, dignitaries and figures from the footballing world for the service at Manchester Cathedral. Joining them were Gary Neville, Paul Scholes, Pete Schmeichel and Ruud van Nistelrooy, alongside Wayne Rooney. Bruno Fernandes, Harry Maguire, Tom Heaton and Maya Le Tissier represented the current teams, with chief executive Omar Berrada, Darren Fletcher and women’s team boss Marc Skinner also in attendance.
Brian Kidd, Alex Stepney and Willie Morgan were among Law’s former United team-mates at the funeral, as was former City team-mate Mike Summerbee. The hearse made its way into the city centre from Old Trafford, where hundreds of supporters congregated as the funeral cortege passed a ground where Law’s success saw him immortalised in two statues. One of those looms over the East Stand forecourt, with Law stood with his right arm aloft between fellow United greats George Best and Sir Bobby Charlton.
Black and white images of Law stretched down the front of the East Stand of a stadium where a book of condolence was open and flags flied at half-mast in memory of the footballing legend. The wake will be held at Old Trafford after the funeral. Born in Aberdeen, Law began his career with Huddersfield Town and was capped 55 times for his country. He transferred to to Manchester City four years later, in 1960. He then joined Torino FC in Italy for a short spell before moving to Manchester United in 1962 and then ending his career with City in 1974.
