Emille Scanavino has already shown how he fairs in America and will begin a new challenge elsewhere.

The Mexico senior goalkeeper signed his letter of intent on May 6 at the Mexico Sports Complex to play soccer for Heriot-Watt University in Scotland. Scanavino just finished a senior campaign where he made 170 saves to win another all-North Central Missouri Conference honor and finishes his time as a Bulldog with 622 career saves in four seasons.

The all-state wrestler Scanavino’s career total puts him in the top 10 of the MSHSAA soccer record books, and his 238 saves as a sophomore is in the top 20 for saves in a season. He said he began soccer when he was four years old to expend his excess energy, but that eventually developed into a “love and passion” for the sport.

“Every day, I wake up and I want to do that,” Scanavino said. “The adrenaline of making a save really just keeps me through.”

Scanavino said he started minding the net whenever he was first allowed to at eight years old, rising up through the Fire Soccer Club and YMCA before eventually making it to high school. He said he was the backup goalie in his varsity season and was given a couple of starts due to injury. His experience skyrocketed in his sophomore year as he impressed and has manned the position ever since. 

All of that time in the net has helped Scanavino become that wall goalies aim to be in soccer so now he is excited for a new opportunity overseas. He said he was actually looked at by teams in Italy and England before the England team recommended Scanavino to Heriot-Watt since the Scotland team needed a goalkeeper. 

“I’m really happy to have this experience and this opportunity,” Scanavino said. “I get to play overseas and be close to professional clubs and be closer to the professional aspect of the sport.”

Head coach Bill Gleeson said Scanavino is a “huge impact” player for whatever team and in whatever country in which he plays. 

“He is a solid player with a solid grasp of field dynamics,” Gleeson said. “I think playing in Scotland will give him an opportunity to expand his knowledge of the game. Soccer in Europe is a bit different style of play, and it will help him become a better player overall. I look for him to make a big impact on the team from the beginning while honing his skill and continuing to improve his game.”

The transition to life in another country shouldn’t be as jarring for Scanavino as he said he will have a fellow Bulldog closeby. His friend and teammate Brendan McKeown plans to go to St. Mary’s in England after transferring from the University of Missouri following a year in his journey to a journalism degree. 

Scanavino will be majoring in chemical engineering before coming back for his master’s degree and PhD. When the two will be in the same region in his second year, he said he plans on hanging out with McKeown.

“We’ll have to see each other a bunch,” Scanavino said. “All of his family lives there because his dad is from Great Britain so it’s great to have someone there to hang out with every once in a while.”

Scanavino said he and McKeown will eventually go their separate ways due to their careers and so will he and the next Mexico goalkeeper Grant Walker, who will be a junior next season. Before Scanavino goes across the pond, he said he has been teaching and preparing Walker for when he inherits a majority of the goalkeeping duties next season.

“You have to have the mentality for it,” Scanavino said. “Physically, you can be tall, short, skinny or whatever, but the main thing you have to have as a goalkeeper is to persist. If you get scored on, get back up and make another save. There were many games where I got mercied, but there were also many games where I made 35 saves.”