Bonnie Jansen and Michael Burgess preview New Zealand's biggest-ever club football match. Video / Cameron Pitney / Photosport
From local hero to bitter rival.
That’s the journey that Auckland FC goalkeeper Alex Paulsen will navigate this weekend, as he returns to the capital for the first time since he left the Wellington Phoenix. Of all the storylines around this inaugural derby – one ofthe most keenly awaited football matches on this shores – Paulsen’s is at the forefront.
Last season he was a massive part of their unprecedented success, as they finished in the top two for the first time and hosted a semifinal. Paulsen was a rock in goal – a big part of their defensive record, the best in the A-League and in club history and at times seemed unbeatable. He was full of personality, style and daring and loved by the fans. He was also as close as possible to a hometown boy, residing in the capital since he was 15, after moving down from Auckland to join the Phoenix academy.
His departure was lamented but also understood, with a once-in-a-lifetime offer from English Premier League club Bournemouth. What was less well understood – or accepted – were the machinations that led to a loan move back to Auckland FC, something that is still a sore point.
“Our noisy neighbours, with their billionaire American owner, want to buy their way to an A-League title,” Phoenix general manager Dome said in an open letter to fans this week. ”They’ve used their millions to lure Alex Paulsen away from us and I’m sure it’ll just be the start, but it takes much more than money to be successful.”
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.
Former Wellington Phoenix goalkeeper Alex Paulsen has been put on loan by AFC Bournemouth to Auckland FC. Photo / Paul Slater
“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.”
Phoenix matchwinners Bozhidar Kraev and Alex Paulsen embrace after an A-League game against Melbourne City at Go Media Stadium Mt Smart in Auckland last November. Photo / Photosport
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.
