Sophus Nielsen
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Sophus Erhard Nielsen | ||
| Date of birth | March 15, 1888 | ||
| Place of birth | Copenhagen, Denmark | ||
| Date of death | August 6, 1963 (aged 75) | ||
| Place of death | Copenhagen, Denmark | ||
| Playing position | Forward | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Concordia | |||
| 1898–1902 | Stjernen | ||
| 1902–1904 | BK Frem | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1904–1912 | BK Frem | ||
| 1913–1915 | Holstein Kiel | 18 | (72) |
| 1916–1921 | BK Frem | 137 | (125) |
| National team | |||
| 1908–1919 | Denmark | 20 | (16) |
| Teams managed | |||
| 1933 | Holstebro BK | ||
| 1940 | Denmark | ||
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. |
|||
| Olympic medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Men's Football | ||
 |
1908 London | Team competition |
|
1912 Stockholm | Team competition |
Sophus Erhard "Krølben" Nielsen (March 15, 1888 – August 6, 1963) was a Danish amateur football (soccer) player and manager, and the first player in history to score ten goals in a full national team match. Nielsen scored a total 16 goals in 20 games for the Denmark national football team, and won silver medals at the 1908 and 1912 Summer Olympics. He was named Danish national team manager in 1940, and he was a pioneer in educating Danish coaches. His nickname Krølben is slang for him being bandy-legged.
Born in Copenhagen, Sophus Nielsen started his senior career with local team Boldklubben Frem. He made his senior debut in October 1904. Nielsen played as a centre forward and inside forward, and was flair player with tricky dribbles and shots, but also with a great heading ability. His bandy legs made it difficult for opponents to tackle the ball away from him. Sophus was the footballing idol of many Copenhagen youth players, including later Danish international team captain Pauli Jørgensen. With Frem, Sophus won the 1911 Baneklubberne Tournaments.
Having served his apprenticeship as a blacksmith with Burmeister & Wain, Sophus Nielsen and his unemployed carpenter brother Carl, decided to travel Europe as journeymen. However, the two brothers only made it as far as Kiel in Schleswig. Here they met the chairman of the local football club Holstein Kiel, whom Sophus knew from an earlier trip with Frem. The chairman provided Sophus and Carl with jobs, as a master blacksmith and joiner respectively. In exchange, the brothers would agree to play amateur football with Holstein Kiel. Nielsen became quite the sensation among German football enthusiasts.
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