Sir Matt Busby will always go down in memory as one of the greatest managers of all time. Surpassed only by his protégé Sir Alex Ferguson in the amount of silverware won at Old Trafford, he was responsible for establishing United as one of the most popular clubs in the world, credited with the capture and nurturing of Denis Law, and re-building the Reds after the 1958 Munich air disaster.
Despite their tremendous eye for detail on the pitch – off it, Busby was much the opposite of Ferguson. A genial gentleman with a quiet, humble manner towards his players and his fans, United were the first team Busby managed – having come so close to taking charge of rivals Liverpool. He would have managed Scotland at the 1958 World Cup were it not for his injuries sustained in the air crash, but whilst managing Scotland, he was the man who gave a certain Denis Law his first international cap. He also took charge of Great Britain’s Olympic squad of 1948.
After having sat at the helm for 24 years, he bowed out of management at the age of 60, amassing 13 trophies.
