Manchester United legend Denis Law diagnosed with mixed dementia

The Aberdeen-born striker won the Ballon d'Or in 1964 and is third on United's all-time list of scorers with 237 goals in 404 matches behind Bobby Charlton and Wayne Rooney.

Manchester United and Scotland great Denis Law says he has been diagnosed with “mixed dementia”.

Manchester United and Scotland great Denis Law says he has been diagnosed with “mixed dementia”.

The Aberdeen-born striker, who won the Ballon d'Or in 1964 and is third on United's all-time list of scorers with 237 goals in 404 matches behind Bobby Charlton and Wayne Rooney, said that the road ahead would be "hard, demanding, painful and ever-changing.

"I'm at the point where I feel I want to be open about my condition. I've been diagnosed with 'mixed dementia', which is more than one type of dementia, in my case... Alzheimer's and vascular dementia," Law said on United's website.

 

"This has been an extremely difficult year for everyone and the long periods of isolation have certainly not helped."

Law described the disease as "incredibly challenging" and that he had witnessed many friends go through it.

"You hope that it won't happen to you, even make jokes about it whilst ignoring the early signs because you don't want it to be true," Law added.

"You get angry, frustrated, confused and then worried, worried for your family, as they will be the ones dealing with it. However, the time has come to tackle this head-on, excuse the pun.

"I recognise how my brain is deteriorating and how my memory evades me when I don't want it to and how this causes me distress in situations that are beyond my control."

Law is immortalised in the United Trinity statue outside of Old Trafford alongside the late George Best and Sir Bobby Charlton.