Auckland v Wellington Phoenix: Alex Paulsen braces for controversial reception ahead of historic A-League derby

So here we are. It’s certainly not on the same scale as Luis Figo leaving Barcelona for Real Madrid or Liverpool hero Michael Owen joining Manchester United, but it added real spice to the first clash.

“I’m not sure (what will happen),” Paulsen said Herald. “It will be interesting. Some people will probably look at me as the enemy, and some will be grateful that I’m giving younger kids and younger fans the opportunity to look at themselves and others and see what’s possible.”

“Everyone is very passionate, Port, Yellow Fever, I just want to control what I can to be the best I can be. If the reception doesn’t go well, I can’t control that, but at the same time it’s part of football, part of life and you just have to keep growing and keep learning.”

Paulsen hopes his past deeds will be remembered, citing the recent example of Southampton goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale, who received a warm welcome when he returned to Arsenal. But the 22-year-old is also not easily embarrassed.

“I will try to be respectful and maintain my values ​​and morals,” Paulsen said. “It’s going to be an amazing time and an amazing atmosphere… it’s also a derby for New Zealand.”

But Paulsen will have mixed emotions today, even despite his professional appearance.

“I have nothing but love for Wellington,” Paulsen explained. “I will always love Wellington Phoenix and their academy. The opportunities I have received, the friendships that have lasted a lifetime… They will always be dear to my heart.”

This is understandable given his trajectory. After attending St Heliers Primary School, then a year each at Auckland Grammar School and Selwyn College, Paulsen was offered a place at Phoenix Academy. He was 15 years old and had only been a “serious goalkeeper” for three or four seasons at Onehunga Sports, after previously dabbling between the outfield and goal.

He went to Scots College, where Ben Auld and Finn Surman were also boarders, although his first year was not easy. Paulsen was initially very homesick – “I’m very family-oriented and didn’t know anyone there” – but eventually he settled down.

“After a while, you start to focus on why you’re actually here, your real purpose, which is to get away from your family,” Paulsen said. “Once you focus on what you can control, which is playing football and trying to be the best you can, things will slowly start to fall into place.”

He rose through the ranks – schoolboy, academic, reserves – with stints at Wellington United and Lower Hutt City before making his A-League debut in December 2021, aged 19. There were three more matches that season before he had to wait almost 18 months for his next opportunity after Oli Sail left. Paulsen never looked back for that season of his life, leading to a lucrative move to Bournemouth.

Returning to the A-League has been a difficult challenge, and understandably so. It’s like a Victoria University student getting a scholarship to Harvard and then being sent back to Auckland University for their first year. But Paulsen has decided to make the best of it and is enjoying time with family and friends, moving back to East Oakland with his parents and Oakland’s promising start.

“It’s been a fantastic journey, and it’s great because I always think about it,” Paulsen said. “It’s different here because a lot has changed since I left. Almost six years away from my family, everything is a little different. But it’s great to have a couple of my close friends here, a couple of football coaches I haven’t seen in a while, and a different lifestyle.”

Michael Burgess has been a sports journalist since 2005, winning several national awards and covering the Olympic Games, FIFA World Cup and America’s Cup campaigns.