Nils Middelboe

Before joining Chelsea in 1913 Middleboe represented Kjøbenhavns Boldklub, Frederiksberg. He made 15 appearances for Denmark (7 goals), and played at 3 Olympic tournaments (winning 2 silver medals).

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Denmark- early internationals

If the ELO Ranking system is applied retrospectively, Denmark become the World number 1 ranked side on  17.5.1914.
This followed victory over the Netherlands in their 13th international. 

Denmark's first official international had seen them kick off international tournament football at the 1908 Olympic Games :

1908

Date					Venue
19.10.08	Denmark	9	0	France B	London White City
Denmark took 10 minutes to open their account in international football, Nils Middelboe  opening the scoring. They were 4 up at half time.  Vilhelm Wolfhagen got 4 goals as Denmark romped home. Sofus Nielsen got the 9th. Denmark’s trainer was Charlie Williams- the former Manchester City goalkeeper.
22.10.08	Denmark	17	1	France A	London White City
Sofus Nielsen had scored a hat trick by the 7th minute. He went on to get 10 goals in all. Wolfhagen got another 4.  3 days into their international football history Denmark had clocked up 26 goals, 11 of them by Nielsen. French football had 2 governing bodies at the time, both of whom entered teams for the Olympics. The A and B designation does not reflect the merit of the teams, theoretically they were equals.
24.10.08	England Amateurs (GB)	2	0	Denmark	London White City
The Olympic Final. This is not a bad result when one considers the drubbings that England’s Amateurs routinely meted out.  In the 10th match played by the selection, this was the narrowest victory they had achieved.
05.05.10	Denmark	2	1	England Amateurs	Copenhagen
Quite a sensational result. Poor weather conditions, goals from  Lindgren (10.) and Wolfhagen (75.)
21.10.11	England Amateurs	3	0	Denmark	London  Park Royal
Was Martin Axel Tufvesson the Faroe Islands’ first international footballer? England sportingly allowed a substitution when goalkeeper Hansen broke his ankle.
30.06.12	Denmark	7	0	Norway	Stockholm
The Stockholm Olympics. 3 goals from Ole Anton Olsen on debut.
02.07.12	Denmark	4	1	Netherlands	Stockholm
04.07.12	England Amateurs (GB)	4	2	Denmark	Stockholm
The Olympic Final. Charles von Buchwald left the pitch injured after 30 minutes, with England leading 2-1. Denmark battled hard but this turned out to be a routine victory for the British side.
06.10.12	Denmark	3	1	Germany	Copenhagen
The Danish public were now more football minded. 10,000 were at this game. Nils Middelboe had played in every one of Denmark’s matches to date, and he got 2 goals here.
25.05.13	Denmark	8	0	Sweden	Copenhagen
05.10.13	Sweden	0	10	Denmark	Stockholm
Poul Nielsen got a hat trick in each half.
26.10.13	Germany	1	4	Denmark	Hamburg
All 4 goals for Poul Nielsen.
17.05.14	Denmark	4	3	Netherlands	Copenhagen
1-3 down at half time. 3 goals for Poul Nielsen.

Sofus Neilsen 

Nils Middelboe 

Poul Nielsen

Denmark and Sweden in 1913- the 10-0 game. 

Chelsea's First Overseas Star...

Nils Middelboe of Kjøbenhavns Boldklub played 15 times for Denmark (1908-20), winning 2 Olympic silver medals (1908 & 12). He was twice on the winning side against England (amateurs), and played Great Britain in both Olympic finals. 
In 1913 Middelboe decided to move to Britain. He signed for Newcastle United as an amateur but transferred to Chelsea on the advice of Vivian Woodward, who told him he would have more opportunities to pursue his career in banking in the capital (though he was also a lawyer). 
He was made club captain on his arrival at Stamford Bridge and was Chelsea's first overseas signing.
The  halfback was with Chelsea from 1913 until 1922, playing 46 first team matches (not including wartime games), scoring 1 goal.
 There is a myth among writers on Chelsea history that Middelboe only played home games, but this is not the case, he featured in away matches in the north of England in every season that he played in the league.