Alex Paulsen has swapped the flights of the A-League for bus trips in Ekstraklasa. Photo: Kevin Sousa / www.photosport.nz
All Whites goalkeeper Alex Paulsen is embracing personal growth and pierogi in his loan move to Poland's Lechia Gdansk.
When Paulsen left his hometown after another successful season between the sticks, he was ready for the next step in his professional career - but where that would be was not always clear.
The 23-year-old shot-stopper is signed to English Premier League club AFC Bournemouth but after a controversial loan to A-League club Auckland FC last season he briefly returned to Bournemouth before linking up with Lechia Gdansk who compete in Poland's top division for the 2025/26 campaign.
"I always wanted to be in an environment where I'm number one," Paulsen said of the move to play in the Ekstraklasa.
"I want to make sure that I'm in the best position moving forward so that I can hopefully put myself up for selection for the World Cup."
When Paulsen arrived at Lechia Gdansk in August, the club was six games into the season and were last in the league, having conceded 17 goals.
The New Zealander has played six games for his new club so far and been involved in three wins, three losses and a draw across two competitions.
"If I'm involved in a team and can help them push to be better than what they were when I wasn't there, then I think I'm doing a good job."
After a couple of seasons being closer to the top of the A-League than the bottom, Paulsen is now involved in a league where the threat of relegation is real.
"To be in the European competitions that's the type of leagues I want to be a part of.
"I always knew it was going to be another jump up and this is what I wanted in terms of my development was to put myself in an environment that's challenging and allowing myself to be open to new ideas and making sure that I can improve to become the best person that I possibly can be.
"It is a bit of a step up from the A-League, if you take into consideration some of the teams that are playing in the European competitions, whether that be the Champions League or conference league or the Europa League as well."
All Whites goalkeeper Alex Paulsen makes a save during the Paris Olympics 2024 Football game between All Whites vs Guinea. Photo: Raghavan Venugopal/Photosport
Despite being early in his own professional career, Paulsen said the biggest takeaway from his time so far in Poland was what he could offer his team mates.
"It's a young squad that we have at Lechia as well and it just means that there's an opportunity for me to express a little bit more of my leadership skills and try and become a leader within that team as well, and encourage and support a lot of other boys as well."
Paulsen missed the All Whites' games against Australia in the Soccer Ashes in September to settle in in Poland.
Now that the All Whites have two games against European opposition in Europe, Paulsen is back with the squad and pushing to add to his three senior international caps.
Coach Darren Bazeley has named three goalkeepers - Paulsen, Max Crocombe and Nik Tzanev - in the squad for games against world no. 37 Poland in Chorzów on Friday and against Norway in Oslo on Wednesday.
While the All Whites have already qualified for next year's Football World Cup, no European teams have locked in their berth yet.
Three days after playing New Zealand, Poland will continue their world cup qualifiers against Lithuania. Whereas Norway will play the All Whites days after their world cup qualifier against Israel.
Paulsen expected the All Whites could face an intense atmosphere in Chorzów if league football was anything to go by.
"From what I've been told I think it'll be a little bit different to the league games, because the league games they have their specific clubs the atmosphere is much more electric as well with flares and just the attendance going to the games it's almost full capacity.
"But one thing you can expect is I think it will be a good crowd coming into this game."
Paulsen has swapped the flights of the A-League for bus trips in Ekstraklasa and while he has done quite a bit of travel around Poland with three away games he said he was not yet up to being a tour guide for his All Whites team mates.
But he does want to tempt them with the local delicacy.
"I think the one thing I'd love to have boys try is the Polish traditional dish which is pierogi, that might be something that some of the boys might be able to get into."
Pierogi dumplings. Photo: The Pierogi Joint
Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
