Alex Paulsen (AFC Bournemouth | England) [Loan: Lechia Gdańsk | Poland]

Ninja

Anyway, I actually rate Poland as a country. It's actually very modern and developed in the major cities. If you are earning a western salary, you'll be living extremely well.

And in my experience, the vast majority of Polish people I've met are very hospitable and welcoming.

No country is without it's flaws, but the point is there's many worse places to live, in my humble opinion...

Dont get me wrong i love the place just stating what friends have told me. Would love to go back sadly thats not going to happen.

LG

Poland is the one European country without any refugee problems at all. The place to be if you want to live in Europe. 

I might be missing something, but I actually take this as a bit of a racial slight if I am honest. The Refugee problem in Europe is a consequence of their historical actions, stealing wealth, resources and generally keeping the native people impoverished for their own gains.
So yes, these Western countries are seeing a surge of refugees entering their countries looking for a better life - much like the colonials of the past, only they still have the power.
If I'm wrong apologies - but any form of ism pisses me off.

There is actually about 5 Ukrainian players in the Lechia Gdańsk squad. 

Any large influx of refugees into a neighbouring country causes all sorts of issues. Nothing unusual about that.

MetalLegNZ

LG

Poland is the one European country without any refugee problems at all. The place to be if you want to live in Europe. 

I might be missing something, but I actually take this as a bit of a racial slight if I am honest. The Refugee problem in Europe is a consequence of their historical actions, stealing wealth, resources and generally keeping the native people impoverished for their own gains.
So yes, these Western countries are seeing a surge of refugees entering their countries looking for a better life - much like the colonials of the past, only they still have the power.
If I'm wrong apologies - but any form of ism pisses me off.

I hear you, but I think the whole situation is very complex and I'm not sure we want to go down that rabbit hole. Maybe we should stick to football..

This could work out ok if he ends up starting at some stage. If hes not then you wonder how much benefit he will get training there compared to staying in the UK and training in an EPL club.
Poland is ok, very modern in the cities but its winters are bleak, no wonder they shut down for spell in winter.
Its a shame they couldnt wrangle a loan to Lorient in France....part of Foleys portfolio. Very progressive go ahead club in a lovely area.

100% agree with you MetallegNZ. Lots of angst and handwringing in Britain because 50,000 foreigners have rocked up on the coast uninvited. I think its hilarious. Thats what Britain did for 200 years all over the world. Not so funny now is it Britain. LOL

Hungary and Slovakia are probably the places to be for the refugee-averse. 

LG

Poland is the one European country without any refugee problems at all. The place to be if you want to live in Europe. 

austin111

100% agree with you MetallegNZ. Lots of angst and handwringing in Britain because 50,000 foreigners have rocked up on the coast uninvited. I think its hilarious. Thats what Britain did for 200 years all over the world. Not so funny now is it Britain. LOL

Not quite the same thing.

austin111

100% agree with you MetallegNZ. Lots of angst and handwringing in Britain because 50,000 foreigners have rocked up on the coast uninvited. I think its hilarious. Thats what Britain did for 200 years all over the world. Not so funny now is it Britain. LOL

You think migrant crisis is hilarious?

No, its sad. What is hilarious is the British reaction. These people come from places that have been plundered by colonialism. Britain has a duty to take them in. 

Alex Paulsen nowym Lechistą 😎

Więcej o wypożyczeniu bramkarza 👉 https://t.co/wS94LBcgbR pic.twitter.com/DLcncZBSmx

— Lechia Gdańsk (@LechiaGdanskSA) August 25, 2025

Paulsen officially announced by Lechia Gdansk

Weird but hope it goes well for him. How many premier league players have done a loan to poland?

Confirmed a season-long loan to Lechia Gdańsk  https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/sport/571061/former-phoenix-and-auckland-keeper-alex-paulsen-moves-to-poland

Side note: please keep on topic and not about migration

Rusty Dunks

mrsmiis

Heading to Polish club Lechia Gdańsk on loan.

Fudge, that'd be a grim place to live

Birthplace of the Polish workers' uprising 1980-81, lots of history

Deleted because I wanted to talk about migration lol

Rusty Dunks

mrsmiis

Heading to Polish club Lechia Gdańsk on loan.

Fudge, that'd be a grim place to live

Gdansk is genuinely beautiful, along the waterfront in the old town would give Copenhagen and Amsterdam a run for their money for how picturesque it is.

It has a rough reputation from decades prior, although their ultras (as MrSmiis pointed out earlier) are fudgeing terrifying - that could be applicable to many teams in the Ekstraklasa though. Will certainly be a sharp comparison to a few feverites calling him a wanker, that's for sure.

Jazzy Jeff

Rusty Dunks

mrsmiis

Heading to Polish club Lechia Gdańsk on loan.

Fudge, that'd be a grim place to live

Gdansk is genuinely beautiful, along the waterfront in the old town would give Copenhagen and Amsterdam a run for their money for how picturesque it is.

It has a rough reputation from decades prior, although their ultras (as MrSmiis pointed out earlier) are fudgeing terrifying - that could be applicable to many teams in the Ekstraklasa though. Will certainly be a sharp comparison to a few feverites calling him a wanker, that's for sure.

 In terms of "visiting Poland" advice, don't buy football scarves from street vendors in order to have a local souvenir unless you are absolutely certain that it's not the one that will get you confronted by skinheads with tattoos on their eyelids... just saying... 

Yes the beginning of the end of communism. I was in Warsaw (vasava  ) during the solidarity march in 1989, amazingbtime to be in Eastern Europe.

Doloras

Rusty Dunks

mrsmiis

Heading to Polish club Lechia Gdańsk on loan.

Fudge, that'd be a grim place to live

Birthplace of the Polish workers' uprising 1980-81, lots of history

hopefully he starts!

Gdansk travelling to Jagiellonia who knocked McCowatt's Silkeborg out of Europe this season.

coochiee

Gdansk travelling to Jagiellonia who knocked McCowatt's Silkeborg out of Europe this season.

https://us.soccerway.com/matches/2025/08/31/poland/ekstraklasa/jagiellonia/lechia/I2189949/

They are also one of Cillian Sheridan's former sides IIRC. I missed him..both on the pitch and off it (his podcast was quite good)

Paulsen starts

HattyCW

Paulsen starts

And, amazingly, captains the side!

edit: or at least that’s what FotMob told me. checking their official pages, he ain’t

Great news.....and the result.
Playing in Poland out if his comfort zone will really toughen him up. Just hope he keeps the no1 spot

2 nil loss.

Here are the highlights 

Helluva an atmosphere and crowd for your debut. Looks like was a celebration game for one of the home team players. Got a touch on the ball for the first but it was a great header. 2nd goal even tougher to keep out

Wonder if AP will be in goal for the AWs v Poland game in October. Makes some sense

"Alex Pow-sen... Novozelandchik!"

Must be crazy being a goalkeeper, not even able to speak to your defenders. Looked like he did bloody well in those highlights.

Celtic v Partick Thistle.

Thought Alex could have done better with both of those goals tbf.

Oi Oi Edgecumbe

Must be crazy being a goalkeeper, not even able to speak to your defenders. Looked like he did bloody well in those highlights.

Would you expect a pro defender, even in Poland, to know basic English that a keeper might yell at you? Like a classically-trained musician knows a bunch of Italian terms by default?

The weirdest position I was in in my career was when one of my best defenders was deaf and I had to trust she knew what she was doing (she usually did)

Doloras

Oi Oi Edgecumbe

Must be crazy being a goalkeeper, not even able to speak to your defenders. Looked like he did bloody well in those highlights.

Would you expect a pro defender, even in Poland, to know basic English that a keeper might yell at you? Like a classically-trained musician knows a bunch of Italian terms by default?

The weirdest position I was in in my career was when one of my best defenders was deaf and I had to trust she knew what she was doing (she usually did)

I've played a bit of football in non-english speaking countries, and honestly on the field football is universal language. Won't be any issues while in goal for Alex during a game. The issues arise when trying to explain things like tactics, or having them explained to you. Communication around performances, morale, decisions that other players/coaches make, could be an issue - see Emery or Ranieri for where the language barrier hampered coaches.

The coach of Gdansk is John Carver from Newcastle (the English one).
After a few episodes of Geordie Shore, Alex will know exactly what the tactics are.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Carver_(footballer)

first one yes, but not the second for me. Both great finishes in any case, can't call them howlers for sure  

Napier Phoenix

Celtic v Partick Thistle.

Thought Alex could have done better with both of those goals tbf.

Better chance of understanding Polish than Geordie 

coochiee

The coach of Gdansk is John Carver from Newcastle (the English one).
After a few episodes of Geordie Shore, and Alex will know exactly what the tactics are.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Carver_(footballer)

Certainly not, they were both well taken goals. I suspect Alex would be a little disappointed though. Which is a good thing for him, he doesn’t err very often does he? We, AFC and NZ have been very lucky to be able to watch him grow.

imanixsupporter

first one yes, but not the second for me. Both great finishes in any case, can't call them howlers for sure  

Napier Phoenix

Celtic v Partick Thistle.

Thought Alex could have done better with both of those goals tbf.

imanixsupporter

first one yes, but not the second for me. Both great finishes in any case, can't call them howlers for sure  

Napier Phoenix

Celtic v Partick Thistle.

Thought Alex could have done better with both of those goals tbf.

Yeah weird shout that.
He'll naturally be disappointed with the first having got a finger on it but no one is keeping the second one out

Either way great to see him getting some football at a higher level, can only be a good thing

I hope Paulsen lives near an air raid shelter in Gdansk because things are heating up in Poland. Overnight Russia fired a whole bunch of drones into Poland. The Polish airforce shot most of them down. Some buildings damaged and so far no casulties. Poland on full alert and have shut down their eastern border.
Live was a little simpler for Paulsen in the A League

austin111

I hope Paulsen lives near an air raid shelter in Gdansk because things are heating up in Poland. Overnight Russia fired a whole bunch of drones into Poland. The Polish airforce shot most of them down. Some buildings damaged and so far no casulties. Poland on full alert and have shut down their eastern border.
Live was a little simpler for Paulsen in the A League

I am suprised he went to Poland surely there was a League one or Championship team willing to loan him in.