Alex Paulsen has stated that former Motherwell player Elijah Just played a pivotal role in his decision to join Fir Park.
Just departed Motherwell for a club-record fee this summer, signing with Swansea City following an outstanding World Cup performance with New Zealand.
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His international teammate Paulsen conversed with Just about his experience in the Scottish Premiership before arriving on loan from Bournemouth.
The 24-year-old goalkeeper made his debut for Motherwell during Thursday’s 2-0 victory against HB in the Conference League qualifying round, delivering several impressive saves.
“Yeah, [Just] had a lot of great things to say about the club,” Paulsen noted.
“It’s a community club. Everybody’s around here. Everybody’s hard working.
“It was pretty much when Eli said that, it was a no-brainer for me. It’s been really, really fantastic.
“He just mentioned that the coach is trying to implement a new style and it will take some time for me to get used to the players as well. But yeah, Eli, he had great things to say about the club.”
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Paulsen expressed no surprise at Just’s lucrative transfer.
He remarked: “I’ve been with Eli during a couple of national team camps and international windows, so it was just great to see him perform at the World Cup and on the world stage.
“It was fantastic, and I’m really proud of him for securing that move to Swansea as well.
“He has had an impressive journey and has faced some challenges overseas in Europe, as anyone would.
“So I’m really happy for him that he’s made that move, along with another fellow kiwi [Marko Stamenic] over at Swansea City as well.”
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Despite Thursday’s notable win, Paulsen remains cautious ahead of next week’s match in the Faroe Islands.
“It’s great for us to have that lead heading into the away fixture next week. We know it’s going to be a tough game playing on the artificial surface as well, which will be very challenging,” he explained.
“So we understand that we’re just leading at half-time and we must finish off the game next week with our heads down and continue to work hard.”