Auckland FC v Wellington Phoenix: Alex Paulsen prepared for ...
So here we are. Of course, it’s nowhere near the scale of Luis Figo going from Barcelona to Real Madrid, or Liverpool hero Michael Owen ending up at Manchester United, but it has added real spice to the first clash.
“I’m not sure [what will happen],” Paulsen told the Herald. “It will be interesting. Some people will probably look at me as the enemy and some others will be grateful, for me giving the opportunity for younger kids and younger fans to look towards myself and others and see what is possible.”
“Everyone is really passionate, The Port, Yellow Fever, I just want to control what I can, to be the best I can be. If it is not going to be a nice reception I can’t really control that but at the same time it is part of football, part of life and you just need to keep growing and keep learning.”
Paulsen hopes his former deeds will be remembered, citing the recent example of Southampton keeper Aaron Ramsdale, who got a warm reception when he returned to Arsenal. But the 22-year-old is also not easily fazed.
“I’m going to try to make sure that I am respectful, maintain my values and morals down there,” said Paulsen. “It is going to be an awesome time and an awesome atmosphere … it is a derby for New Zealand as well.”
But Paulsen will have mixed emotions today, even with his professional facade.
“I’ve got nothing but love for Wellington,” explained Paulsen. “I’ll always love the Wellington Phoenix and the academy. The opportunities I got, the lifelong friendships … I’ll always hold them dearest to my heart.”
That’s understandable, given his trajectory. After time at St Heliers Primary, then a year each at Auckland Grammar and Selwyn College, Paulsen was offered a spot in the Phoenix academy. He was 15 years old and had only been a “serious keeper” for three or four seasons at Onehunga Sports, after earlier dabbling between outfield and in goal.
He boarded at Scots College, where Ben Old and Finn Surman were also in the dormitory, though the first year wasn’t easy. Paulsen was extremely homesick early on – “I’m a very family-oriented person and I didn’t really know anyone there” – but he settled eventually.
“After a while you start to focus on why you are actually there, your real purpose of moving away from family,” said Paulsen. “Once you focus on what you can control, which is playing football and trying to be the best you can be, everything slowly starts to fit into place.”
He moved through the ranks – schoolboy, academy, reserves – along with time at Wellington United and Lower Hutt City before his A-League debut in December 2021 as a 19-year-old. There were three more matches that season, before a wait of almost 18 months for his next opportunity, once Oli Sail had left. Paulsen never looked back – with the season of his life – which led to the lucrative Bournemouth move.
Being back in the A-League has been a difficult adjustment, which is understandable. It’s like a Victoria University student getting a scholarship to Harvard, then being sent back to the University of Auckland for the first year of it. But Paulsen has resolved to make the most of it and is enjoying the bonus of time with family and friends, living back in East Auckland with his parents, as well as Auckland FC’s promising start.
“It’s been a fantastic journey and it’s cool because I always reflect on it,” said Paulsen. “It feels different [here] because a lot has changed since I left. Almost six years being away from family, everything is a little bit different. But it’s great to have a couple of my close mates here, couple of football coaches I haven’t seen for a while and experience a different lifestyle.”
Michael Burgess has been a sports journalist since 2005, winning several national awards and covering Olympics, Fifa World Cups and America’s Cup campaigns.
