Bronze of Scottish footballing legend to get city centre home

A statue of legendary Scottish footballer Denis Law has been approved to be placed in Aberdeen city centre.

The bronze, entitled ‘Legend’, depicts the former footballing great with his right arm raised and celebrates his roots in the city.

Figurative sculptor Alan B Herriot was commissioned to create the statue which is intended to be placed across the road from the figure of Robert the Bruce which the artist also designed.

The site, set back from Broad Street beside Marischal Square, was preferred by both the artist and the Denis Law Legacy Trust because of a narrative around the two statues facing each other and sharing the same sculptor, materials and plinths.

Mr Herriot told STV News: “Denis Law was one of my football heroes when I was growing up, I think he was everyone in Scotland’s football hero.

“The site is excellent, it’s central to the city, and obviously Denis Law is a great hero of Aberdeen. I believe they had asked the public which of the local heroes they would like to see at the museum in the Provost Skene’s House, and Denis Law came top of the list.”

Councillor Douglas Lumsden, city growth and resources convener, said: “I’m delighted that the statue of one of our footballing greats is to be sited in the same street as our beautiful Marischal College and will be reflected in the glass at Marischal Square.

“The statue will be a fitting and long-lasting tribute to Denis Law and I’m sure will be a popular addition to the sculpture trail around the city.”

The statue is an exact replica of the one the artist made placed in Aberdeen Sport Village in 2012. Its pose inspired by Law’s score for Scotland in the 3-2 victory over world champions England in 1967.

Law left Aberdeen as a teenager and began his career at Huddersfield Town before signing for Manchester City in 1960. After a move to Italian side Torino he joined Manchester United where he would become a living legend nicknamed The King.

He is the only Scottish winner of the FIFA Ballon d’Or and the only man to have two statues dedicated to him at Old Trafford.

‘Legend’ has already been made and is currently in storage in the city awaiting its transportation and installation near Provost Skene’s House which is expected to cost up to £25,000. The statute will sit three metres above the ground on a granite plinth.

The council would inherit the ownership of the statue and would be responsible for ongoing maintenance costs.