André Paus was a tall, solid Dutch defender with a keen defensive understanding. He built a solid career primarily at FC Twente, where he played for nine seasons between the mid-1980s and early 1990s, making 238 appearances, scoring 10 goals (in all competitions) and establishing himself as a constant presence in the Enschede club's defense, playing alongside Fred Rutten. A native of Weerselo, he began playing for local amateur clubs before being recruited by Twente at the age of 16, gradually rising to the senior team.

He made his debut for the club in 1985, in a match against Excelsior, and from then on, he began to gain ground, becoming a regular starter over time and forming an important part of the defensive system during the club's years of stability and transition in the Eredivisie. When in the possession of the ball, André Paus was not genial, but had more than reasonable technique to not fumble himself and he made up for any possible deficiencies with physical strength, good positioning, long passes, accurate long-range shots, and a strong aerial game, being quite reliable in defensive containment and in aerial play both defensively and offensively.

His style was more pragmatic and safe, without taking too many risks, which made him an ideal partner for more daring defenders or midfielders who frequently advanced, as was the case with Fred Rutten, who used to carry the ball from the defense. Another important characteristic of Paus was his versatility, capable of playing as a center back, full-back, defensive midfielder, central midfielder, and even as a striker, as he did on occasions under coach Theo Vonk.

At the end of his time at FC Twente in 1994, Paus opted for international experience and transferred to Jubilo Iwata and Fujitsu (now Kawasaki Fontale) in Japan in the 1990s, where he played in the final stretch of his career, experiencing the rise of Asian football in that early period of the Japanese professional era. Finally, he had a very brief stint at Heracles Almelo in 1997-98, but was unable to play much due to ankle ligament injuries and knee pain that had plagued him since 1991, while still at Twente.


Other Links:
André Paus (1965) | Kentudezenog.nl | Dutch
André Paus | FC Twente Statistieken | Dutch
Back in Time | André Paus: The iron defender from Weerselo | TwenteInsite.nl | Dutch

Videos:
FC Twente 1 - 3 PSV | Eredivisie 1985-1986, 23 maart 1986 | Paus is nº 7, playing as CF.
Roda JC 1 - 1 FC Twente (1986-1987) | Paus is n° 6
Roda JC 1 - 3 FC Twente (1986-1987)(Nacompetitie) | Paus is n° 5
FC Twente 2 - 3 PSV | Eredivisie 1987-1988, 19 augustus 1987 | Paus is nº 6
1988-05-01 | FC Twente 1 - 0 Roda JC | Paus is n° 6
1989-03-25 | FC Twente - Roda JC 0-0 | Paus is n° 6
Samenvatting • FC Twente 4 - 1 FC Groningen (19-01-1992)| Paus is n° 6
FC Twente 2 - 1 Ajax seizoen 1993-1994 | Paus is n° 3
André Paus broke two ribs and caused a punctured lung in referee Van der Niet with an accidental kick