 Paulsen playing for theWellington Phoenix in 2024 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Alexander Noah Paulsen[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | (2002-07-04)4 July 2002 (age 23)[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Auckland,New Zealand | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.84 m (6 ft 0 in)[2] | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position | Goalkeeper | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Team information | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Current team | Lechia Gdańsk (on loan fromBournemouth) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Number | 18 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| –2017 | Eastern Suburbs &Onehunga Sports | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2018 | Wellington Phoenix | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2018–2023 | Wellington Phoenix Reserves | 21 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2018 | →Wellington United (loan) | 2 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2019–2021 | →Lower Hutt City (loan) | 39 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2021–2024 | Wellington Phoenix | 33 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2024– | Bournemouth | 0 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2024–2025 | →Auckland FC (loan) | 28 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2025– | →Lechia Gdańsk (loan) | 10 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| International career‡ | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2018–2019 | New Zealand U17 | 8 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2019– | New Zealand U23 | 5 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2024– | New Zealand | 5 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 3 February 2026 ‡ National team caps and goals as of 09:34, 15 October 2025 (UTC) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Alexander Noah Paulsen (born 4 July 2002) is a New Zealand professionalfootballer who plays as agoalkeeper forEkstraklasa clubLechia Gdańsk, on loan fromBournemouth, and theNew Zealand national team.
Born in Auckland, Paulsen joined theWellington Phoenix in 2018. Initially playing for theirreserve team, Paulsen signed his first professional deal in September 2021 and largely served as second-choice goalkeeper. Following a standoutdebut season as starting goalkeeper, Paulsen signed for Bournemouth in June 2024.[3] Paulsen representedNew Zealand at the2020 and2024 Olympics.[4][5][6]
Paulsen was born inAuckland to a South African father and Namibian mother.[7][8] He playedfutsal throughout his childhood, and only committed to playing football as a goalkeeper at the age of 13 after beginning as an outfielder.[9] Paulsen initially played in the youth ranks ofEastern Suburbs and thenOnehunga Sports under the tutelage of noted youth development coachHiroshi Miyazawa. In 2018, aged 15, Paulsen moved to Wellington to join theWellington Phoenix academy through their affiliation with Onehunga Sports, following in the footsteps of fellow graduatesSarpreet Singh andMax Mata.[9]
After progressing through the Wellington Phoenix age-grade sides, Paulsen was regularly named as a substitute forWellington Phoenix Reserves throughout the2018–19 and2019–20New Zealand Football Championship seasons, but did not make an appearance. During this time, Paulsen played for Wellington Phoenix affiliate clubsWellington United andLower Hutt City in theCentral League. On 14 November 2020, Paulsen finally made his reserves debut, starting in a 1–0 loss toTeam Wellington in the opening game of the2020–21 season. Paulsen remained a consistent starter throughout the season, and despite the team finishing last, Paulsen was named the league's Most Valuable Player.[10] His performances for the reserves culminated in his first professional contract, signing for the senior team on a three-year deal alongside fellow reserve standoutBen Old.[11]
Paulsen entered the2021–22 A-League Men season as second-choice goalkeeper behind club captainOliver Sail. On 19 December 2021, following an injury to Sail, Paulsen made his A-League debut as a substitute in a 2–1 loss againstSydney FC.[12] Paulsen would remain starter in Sail's absence; in anFFA Cup quarterfinal match againstMelbourne City on 5 January 2022, Paulsen made three saves in a 0–0 (4–3)penalty shootoutextra time win to secure the Phoenix's maiden semifinal appearance in the competition.[13] Upon Sail's return from injury, however, Paulsen returned to a bench role, and he did not make an appearancethe following season.
Sail departed the club to sign withPerth Glory prior to the start of the2023–24 season.[14] Paulsen became starting goalkeeper under new head coachGiancarlo Italiano, and played every minute as the Wellington Phoenix finished second, achieving their highest ever finish while conceding the lowest number of goals in club history.[15] Paulsen was named the Wellington Phoenix Members' Player of the Year, Players' Player of the Year and Under–23 Player of the Year.[16] He was namedA-League Men Goalkeeper of the Year, and shared theYoung Footballer of the Year award withNestory Irankunda; this marked the first ever time a Wellington Phoenix player had won the award.[17] He was also named in theA-League Men Team of the Season, receiving the most votes out of any player.[18] Paulsen's season has since been noted as among the best of any A-League goalkeeper in history.[19]
On 20 May 2024, Paulsen was called up to theA-League All Stars for a friendly match againstNewcastle United; Paulsen startedthe match as the All Stars won 8–0.[20][21]
In June 2024, Paulsen signed forPremier League clubBournemouth for a reported initial fee of £850,000, rising up to £2 million[3] on a 4-year contract.
Ahead of the2024–25 A-League Men season, theAustralian Professional Leagues, the governing body for the A-League Men, announced the removal of theCaceres rule; this allowed Paulsen to be loaned to sister clubAuckland FC.[22][23]
Paulsen was part of an Auckland side that set a new Australian football record by going 532 minutes before conceding their first goal, including a 2–0 win over his former clubWellington Phoenix in the first-everNew Zealand Derby.[24] Paulsen played every minute as Auckland won the A-League Premiership in their debut season, marking his first major honour at club level. He was also namedA-League Men Goalkeeper of the Year for the second consecutive season.
On 26 August 2025, Bournemouth loaned Paulsen toLechia Gdańsk of the PolishEkstraklasa for the2025–26 season.[25]
In September 2018, Paulsen was called up forNew Zealand to compete in the2018 OFC U-16 Championship. Paulsen made three competition appearances, and was presented the Golden Glove award. In the final against theSolomon Islands, Paulsen saved two penalties – one in regular time, one in the penalty shootout – as New Zealand prevailed to win their eighth title, qualifying for the2019 FIFA U-17 World Cup in the process.[26]
Paulsen played in all three of New Zealand's games in the2019 FIFA U-17 World Cup, being eliminated in the group stage. Despite making a high-profile error in a 3–0 loss toBrazil, Paulsen recovered to keep a clean sheet in a 1–0 win overCanada.[27]
Aged just 17, Paulsen was called up byDes Buckingham to theNew Zealand under-23 squad for the2019 OFC Men's Olympic Qualifying Tournament. Paulsen made one appearance, as a late substitute in a 6–1 win overSamoa, as New Zealand won the title and qualified for the2020 Summer Olympics.[28]Danny Hay named Paulsen as a traveling reserve for the tournament, withMichael Woud andJamie Searle preferred in the main squad; Paulsen did not make an appearance as New Zealand reached the quarter-finals.[28]
In September 2022, Paulsen was first called up to thesenior national team for a two-game friendly series againstAustralia, but did not play in either match.[29] He was later called up for friendlies againstGreece andIreland in November 2023, and then in March 2024 for twoFIFA Series matches againstEgypt andTunisia, but again did not play ahead of incumbentMax Crocombe.[30]
On 18 June 2024, Paulsen finally made his senior international debut, keeping a clean sheet against theSolomon Islands in a 3−02024 OFC Men's Nations Cup win. Crocombe started all subsequent tournament games as New Zealand eventually claimed the trophy.[31][32]
Paulsen attended St Heliers School andSelwyn College in Auckland, before moving toScots College in Wellington after joining the Wellington Phoenix academy in 2018.[33]
Paulsen's brother, Adam, represents theNew Zealand national futsal team.[34] The brothers playedfutsal regularly growing up, and Paulsen attributes this as a major influence on his ball-playing ability as a goalkeeper.[9]
| Club | Season | League | National cup[a] | League cup | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Wellington Phoenix Reserves | 2018–19 | NZ Premiership | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | |||
| 2019–20 | NZ Premiership | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | ||||
| 2020–21 | NZ Premiership | 13 | 0 | — | — | — | 13 | 0 | ||||
| 2022 | National League | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | 3 | 0 | ||||
| 2023 | National League | 5 | 0 | — | — | — | 5 | 0 | ||||
| Total | 21 | 0 | — | — | — | 21 | 0 | |||||
| Wellington United | 2018 | Central League | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 2 | 0 | |||
| Lower Hutt City | 2019 | Central League | 12 | 0 | — | — | — | 12 | 0 | |||
| 2020 | Central League | 17 | 0 | — | — | — | 17 | 0 | ||||
| 2021 | Central League | 10 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 11 | 0 | |||
| Total | 39 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 40 | 0 | ||||
| Wellington Phoenix | 2021–22 | A-League Men | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 6 | 0 | ||
| 2022–23 | A-League Men | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | |||
| 2023–24 | A-League Men | 27 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 2[b] | 0 | 31 | 0 | ||
| Total | 31 | 0 | 4 | 0 | — | 2 | 0 | 37 | 0 | |||
| Bournemouth | 2024–25 | Premier League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | |
| Auckland FC (loan) | 2024–25 | A-League Men | 26 | 0 | — | — | 2[b] | 0 | 28 | 0 | ||
| Lechia Gdańsk (loan) | 2025–26 | Ekstraklasa | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 6 | 0 | ||
| Career total | 124 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 134 | 0 | ||
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Zealand | |||
| 2024 | 3 | 0 | |
| 2025 | 2 | 0 | |
| Total | 5 | 0 | |
Auckland FC
New Zealand
Individual
New Zealand squads | |||||||||||||
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