Nick Hanushchak’s journey from Springfield, Pennsylvania to the banks of Lake Como was a quiet leap of faith — a chance to step into a new country, a new culture, and a different kind of football. As the first recipient of the Como 1907 Scholarship, the 18-year-old centre back spent a formative year learning his craft in one of the most tactical football environments in the world.

Born to Ukrainian parents and raised just outside of Philadelphia, Hanushchak came through the Philadelphia Union Academy before making the 4,000-mile move to Italy. “It was my first real experience living by myself, away from my family,” he said. His routine in Como was a full one: training with the Primavera squad, Italian lessons three times a week with his tutor Elena, and keeping up with online schooling.