Paulsen hassigned a four-year contract with Bournemouth on a life-changing deal that will net the Phoenix a few million dollars.
And while taking the field in the world’s greatest club football competition could be a few years away – the players in front of Paulsen include Bournemouth’s 34-year-old captain Neto – he is on track for a high-profile career extremely rare among Kiwi footballers.
The 21-year-old, whose parents emigrated from South Africa in 1999, was brought up in Auckland’s eastern suburbs.
Futsal (five-a-side indoor football) was an initial passion and his brother Adam Paulsen is a top New Zealand player.
The skills from that game have prepared Paulsen well for what is required in modern goalkeepers and his ability with the ball at his feet might soon be incorporated into the All Whites’ game.
His brilliant A-League season will have national coach Darren Bazeley considering if Paulsen is worth a debut against the Solomon Islands or Vanuatu in the OFC Nations Cup next week.
(And Paulsen has a terrific Oceania history – a superb performance in the Under-16 final against hosts Solomon Islands six years ago was an early sign that New Zealand might have a special keeper on their hands.)
Then it will be off to the Olympics in France, where the OlyWhites’ Group A opponents include the Thierry Henry-coached hosts and USA.
Star-on-the-rise Paulsen chats to NZME.
Have Bournemouth’s coaches outlined a plan for your career?
The four-year contract clearly shows that they are willing to have a plan for me to play in the English Premier League one day. Whether I start in the reserves or go out on loan, I’m up for those pathways. That hasn’t been finalised yet – we are still discussing it.
Liverpool and Chelsea were reportedly interested in you – did you discuss those options?
It wasn’t just them – my agent referred other clubs on to me. I get updated on clubs that are interested but I didn’t get into too much detail. I just tried to focus on my football.
Is there an EPL club, or major club elsewhere, that you support?
Well, I’m all for Bournemouth... one of my best mates is a Barcelona supporter and he keeps me informed about them, so I am a Barcelona fan.
I do support Manchester United. My brother is a heavy Manchester United supporter, and so is my dad.
That’s how I was introduced to the goalkeeping of Peter Schmeichel... he was a role model for me, one of the keepers I aspired to be.
He was a bit before your time... a man with a famously big personality...
Yes, a very big personality. I feel that I am a completely different personality to that, calmer, more relaxed. But there are elements of his game that I can take into my own, like his aggression off the ball, how he communicated with his backline. He was very firm and direct, got the message across once. That’s what I would like to incorporate into my game, although not in a disrespectful way, but to get a message to my backline or defenders.
How did you become a goalkeeper?
I played Futsal as an outfield player, but also as a goalkeeper and it originated from there. I thought “I want to make that change”. I loved the position, the hand-eye co-ordination.
Modern goalkeepers must be skilled with the ball, something you are known for... but things can go wrong with that approach.
Yes, it is a high-risk type of scenario that gives people goosebumps, or a bit of anxiety, when you are playing near the six-yard box. It’s about trusting your ability.
Does that mean goalkeepers do a lot of training with the main squad?
Every coach and team is different in how they want to integrate the goalkeeper with outfield players. At the Phoenix, there were more specific goalkeeper training sessions, the goalkeepers training by themselves, although we could get involved a bit with exercises like four versus four.
Do goalkeeping tactics with the ball change depending on the opponents?
The head coach will have a style of play but each game involves different scenarios and tactics – you will do a couple of different things going into those games. Each opponent is different.
Was there a turning point for you during this season with the Phoenix?
It would have to be at the start of the year against Sydney FC. It was an eye-opener about the realities of professional football. It wasn’t a great performance from my standpoint but I learnt and grew from it, and how to deal with the pressure. You more or less speak to those who are close to you, in your inner circle, and get advice and experience on what they have had to deal with.
Alex Paulsen had a strong season for the Wellington Phoenix. Photo / Photosport
If you weren’t a professional footballer...
As a kid in New Zealand, you grow up playing a wide range of sports. I loved Futsal, but I also loved playing cricket. I was a wicketkeeper/batsman. But I was pretty fixated on trying to pursue a football career.
Your father is South African, your mother Namibian... does that heritage play a big part in your life?
It plays a big part in that I feel that the fact that they moved over from South Africa without knowing anybody in New Zealand was a big sacrifice. Like anybody moving to Auckland would find, it is a fantastic place to grow up. It was better to raise a family here because the crime rate in South Africa makes life very difficult.
Your All Whites career has involved sitting on the bench for a few games – can your rise this season lead to a start at the OFC Nations Cup?
Max Crocombe has done a fantastic job of retaining his number one spot. I will have to work hard to make my debut.
Your story might help inspire other Kiwi kids to have big football dreams...
I’ve never really had that thought – I’ve just been focused on my football. I’ve tried my best to achieve every kid’s dream... first and foremost to get a professional contract and hopefully one day play in the Premier League.
With all that has happened – do you have to pinch yourself sometimes?
I wouldn’t say pinch myself... but I do reflect on it and try to celebrate each moment with my family as much as I can. It [an EPL contract] was always a dream but I didn’t realise it could come this quickly.
I had belief but it needed a lot of hard work. I’m very grateful to the staff and coaches at Onehunga Sports... I’ve got a lot of people to thank.
