I first saw Denis play in his debut game for Scotland against Wales at Ninian Park in Cardiff. I went down there with two of my pals. He got a goal via the Welsh goalkeeper clearing it and he skied it into the net. He was just 18 and it was an astonishing feat to get into that Scotland team, especially as he was playing in England for Huddersfield Town. When we got back to Scotland we said, Huddersfield? What division are they in?
He was lightning quick and very brave. He didn’t have a big physique. He was a rakish type of centre forward, 5ft 9in, but he put himself where the danger was and some of the centre halves in those days were absolutely brutal. You had to stand up for yourself and he knew he would take some punishment every game. But he could handle it and give it back. The record will show you that he always made sure he got sent off around Christmas time so he could spend it back home in Aberdeen.
He never played for a Scottish club but he was Scottish through and through. The fact that he played for English clubs didn’t matter when he put on the Scottish jersey. He was Scotland’s greatest ever player; I don’t think there’s any doubt about that. I was surprised when he went off to play in Italy for Torino but I think the move was a bit romantic for him. Italy sounds great but I don’t think he enjoyed playing there that much, and he lasted less than a year.
He came back to join [Manchester] United and then you had him, Bobby Charlton and George Best. It was amazing that Matt Busby rebuilt the team after the Munich air disaster [in which 11 Manchester United players and staff were killed]. Denis was 22 when he joined United. It was a challenge for him to come back and establish himself, but what a time to come back because it was nothing but success from then on – though it was a big disappointment when he missed the final of the European Cup in 1968. He scored 30 times for Scotland [still a record, jointly held with Kenny Dalglish] and he used to wipe his nose on his sleeve after scoring. All the strikers imitated him. I did it myself. I was a copycat.
I was first in his company in about 1973 or 74, when there was a game in France as part of an attempt to amalgamate the football unions of England, Scotland and the European leagues. Denis was my roommate and we were staying in Paris and he used to smoke a pipe. I’m lying in bed and he brings out this pipe. I said to him: “What the fuck have you got a pipe for?” And he said: “Because I like it.” That was the first time I met him and he was great company.
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When I first went to United [as manager] I said he should come in for a cup of tea sometime. He said: “You’re kidding. I’m the last person you want to come.” I said: “Why?” And he said: “Well you’re not doing that great, and it will just give the press an excuse to bring that up if I come in. But if you win the league, I’ll be the first in for a cup of tea.” And he kept his promise: the day after we won the league he came for tea.
My wife, Cathy, and I used to go out to dinner with Denis and his wife, Diana. One day they mentioned that their daughter Di was going for an interview at United for press secretary. She got the job and Diana said: “Will you look after her?” I said: “Of course I will.” You know what footballers are like and she was young. But she didn’t need looking after. She was a tough cookie. She was terrific. Denis was very proud.
He came from a family of trawler men, the youngest of seven children, but he was never envious of the big money modern players earn. He wasn’t that type of person. He was a great man.
Photograph by Getty Images