Yerry Mina’s latest comments on Everton’s continued rise in Colombia will be music to the ears of club commercial staff.
Expansion into both the North and South American markets is something the club have planned for some time.
The club initially took steps in when they secured the services of Mina in the summer of 2018 from Spanish giants Barcelona.
But it was the arrival of James Rodriguez last summer that has really helped accelerate the Blues' plan to become one of the biggest names in North and South America.
Everton made sure the announcement of Rodriguez joining was an event to remember, with numerous events taking place in America to mark the occasion.
The announcement of Rodriguez also saw an increase of traffic to the club's official website by a whopping 433 percent.
Since then, things have accelerated both on and off the pitch for the Blues.
On the pitch, Carlo Ancelotti’s side have enjoyed a fine start to the season.
Everton secured their place in the fifth round of the FA Cup with a 3-0 win over Sheffield Wednesday at Goodison Park on Sunday night.
While in the Premier League, Ancelotti’s side currently sit sixth in the table having taken 16 points and conceded only four goals in their last seven league games.
And a win over Leicester City on Wednesday night in the Premier League will see the Blues move back into the top four.
While off the pitch, the Blues have continued to add to their list of commercial partners this season.
Most recently, they confirmed a new company will be handling all of their travel arrangements.
Clarity Sports became the latest name to be added to the growing list of commercial partners while the ECHO also understands that Everton are in negotiations with a potential shirt sleeve sponsor.
But it was a deal that was completed back in December that showed that the club are already making ground in Colombia.
Everton confirmed a "multi-year" agreement with Rushbet.co to make them their official betting partner in the South American country.
Rushbet.co is owned by US-based Rush Street Interactive and is said to be the third most popular betting site in Colombia, having been launched in 2018.
As part of the deal, a television advertising campaign featuring a number of Everton players is set to run across the country's broadcast channels in the first part of 2021.
And now Mina has opened up on how his club’s popularity continues to increase in his home country of Colombia, with 'Everton' now the name on everybody’s lips in the South American country.
He said: “Everton in Colombia are 'El maximo'. The biggest thing there is. They are massive.
“We get a feeling how big an impact Everton are making in our country and I am really grateful for that support.
“The word Everton is on everyone’s lips, all the time.
“I chat to family members at home and they’ll tell me, ‘Everton were on television the other day, everyone was talking about how well they are doing, what a big family it is’. This support is very important for the team.
“Hopefully, myself and James can carry on doing our little bit for the Club, to make sure we get even more followers, not just in Colombia but around the world.”
There are already more activities in place to achieve long-term goals in the future across the continents, with friendly matches on the agenda for the Blues.
And while there is certainly more work to do for the club to truly make their mark in the North and South American markets, Mina's latest comments prove Everton are certainly heading in the right direction in achieving their long-term goal.
