Denis Law at 80: Scotland & Manchester United star's greatest moments

Denis Law with an exuberant fan after Scotland's 3-2 victory over England in 1967

All hail the King. Denis Law, always in the conversation when talk turns to the greatest Scottish player of all time, is 80 today.

Law is best remembered as part of the famous Manchester United trinity alongside George Best and Bobby Charlton.

A Ballon d'Or winner in 1964, he won 55 caps for Scotland, scoring 30 international goals.

Here BBC Scotland takes a look at the moments that defined the Aberdonian's stellar career.

Scotland hero

Scotland manager Matt Busby gave an 18-year-old Law his first cap in 1958 and the Huddersfield Town teenager showed that faith was well founded with a goal in a 3-0 win over Wales.

He scored five goals in his first 14 appearances and then they really started to flow in 1962 and 1963.

Four goals in a 5-0 win over Northern Ireland, two against Austria, seven goals home and away against Norway. He finished 1963 having scored 16 goals in nine games for his country.

His most celebrated strike for Scotland came in 1967 when he scored against then-world champions England in a 3-2 victory at Wembley. "I was very proud" Law says when he thinks back to that win.

Too young to make the squad in 1958, Law played in just one World Cup match, being selected for the opening 2-0 win over Zaire at the 1974 tournament, which was to be his last appearance for the national side.

He is tied at the top of the all-time scorers list with Kenny Dalglish, who also shared the 'King' nickname, and took 102 games to reach the same mark.

Old Trafford legend

He had played for their rivals Manchester City, but after a brief spell in Italy with Torino, Law returned to Manchester in 1962, this time in the red of United.

If the Old Trafford faithful needed winning over, Law took just seven minutes to do it, netting in a 2-2 draw with West Bromwich Albion.

Despite Law's heroics United were struggling for form. He scored a hat-trick against Leicester City, but United still lost. But he scored another hat-trick in the FA Cup as they routed Huddersfield 5-0 and went on to reach the final, against Leicester. This time the Red Devils got their revenge - Law scoring the opening goal as they lifted the cup at Wembley.

Denis Law spent 11 seasons with Manchester United, winning the league twice

Law would have the distinction that year of playing three times at Wembley, for three different teams. As well as Manchester United, he played for Scotland against England, and for a Rest of the World select, scoring their goal in a 2-1 defeat. He later described that selection as "the greatest honour of my career".

He would go on to add two league titles to that cup win, as well as two successes in the Charity Shield.

Hitting the net 237 times in 404 appearances, only Bobby Charlton and Wayne Rooney have scored more United goals. There are not one but two statues dedicated to him at Old Trafford.

The best in Europe

Law was named European Footballer of the Year ahead of Spanish legend Luis Suarez in 1964 after knocking in an incredible 46 goals that season. He is still the only Scottish player to win the award.

On the run to the European Cup final in 1968 he scored twice against Hibernians - the Maltese version - in United's opening game.

However, Law was missing on the night of the final after a troublesome knee injury kept him out. He instead watched on TV as his team-mates defeated Benfica after extra-time at Wembley.

The next season, he was the tournament's top scorer with nine goals as the holders suffered a semi-final defeat to eventual winners AC Milan.

Over five seasons in continental competition, his tally was 28 goals.