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Another Everton pre-season has been confirmed without a trip to the United States of America.

Joe-Max Moore, Brian McBride, Tim Howard and Landon Donovan have all pulled on the Royal Blue jersey with distinction during the past two decades but the Blues seem reticent to boost their standing across the pond.

Donovan, for his part, believes he knows why.

"The challenge with Everton is they don't, in American eyes, have the history or the sexiness of the teams in London - and then Manchester United and Man City now," he recently told The Blue Room.

"They haven't had the money to bring in the superstars in the way those other clubs have. In that way, it's been really hard for them to make a dent in this market.

"If you grow up a soccer fan and you turn on the TV you're always watching Arsenal, Tottenham, Manchester United, Man City or Chelsea - so it's very difficult to make a dent that way.

"So either having a superstar period or a superstar American player is one way. Aside from that, it's being successful.

"It takes time, and if they really want to invest the time, resources and energy to do it they could certainly make a dent.

"They've got many former players here that would be happy to talk about what that club is, what it means. We're doing it naturally, but they could certainly invest resources to make that impact deeper."

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The American superstar went on to admit Everton have not done enough to harness his celebrity, nor that of former team-mate Howard, who also possesses a large pull Stateside.

"I believe Tim made the biggest impact on American awareness of Everton in general," Alex Johnson of the American Toffee Podcast told the ECHO.

"Donovan’s loan stint was probably beneficial, however not a driving force. It is easy to forget that it was difficult for Americans to consume Premier League football on TV until five, six years ago."

Jeff Wallner, a journalist based in Ohio and massive Blue adds: "Howard did so much to create awareness of Everton in the states.

"You’d be hard-pressed to find an Evertonian here who wasn’t at least partly influenced by Howard’s time in Blue. I believe Howard was at least partly an impetus for spawning Everton USA.

"I don’t feel as if Everton took full advantage of the opportunity to promote itself while he was at Goodison."

(Image: Gavin Trafford)

Donovan, Johnson and Wallner are all in agreement, then.

But what could the powers-that-be at Goodison Park do next?

"The best thing for the club to do right now would be to take advantage of Wayne Rooney playing for DC United and come to the capital for a friendly match this summer," Johnson ruminates.

"Everton should also be far more active on the US social media accounts and do more with the official supporters club network here."

Sections of the fan-base from both sides of the Atlantic Ocean were surprised when Marco Silva's complete pre-season schedule was announced without a trip to America.

The last time Everton travelled to the States was under Roberto Martinez in 2013 when high-profile friendly matches against Juventus and Real Madrid were scheduled.

Wallner adds: "A tour in the U.S is long overdue. They missed an opportunity to play in Colorado before Howard retired.

"There was some talk about featuring a match against Rooney but nothing transpired. I do realise it takes an enormous financial commitment to travel to the States but once Howard retires, hire him as a spokesperson.

"Few former players express their love for Everton more eloquently than Tim. Help the supporter’s groups grow and help them leverage social media to lure new fans here."

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This is not to say that efforts in America are nondescript from the marketing team at Goodison.

Wallner's Cincinnati supporters group, for example, received signed memorabilia from current stars Bernard and Michael Keane last term. Proceeds raised from auctioning Keane's jersey were then passed forward to Everton in the Community .

Alex and his co-host have also been given merchandise and a photograph was featured in the matchday programme on Merseyside.

But Everton can do more.

Listening to Jeff talk, in many ways, makes you realise the smallest of contributions from the club make the American experience so much more fulfilling for supporters who, quite literally, put their life on hold to follow the Blues.

"I didn’t plan on Everton becoming such a large part of my life," Wallner adds. "This club has consumed me. I have made great friends that I never would have met if I hadn’t supported Everton.

"I’ve driven to the pub on Saturday mornings as early as 7 a.m. on matchdays thinking, ‘This is crazy’.

"If you would have told me 20 years ago that one day I would travel 4,000 miles to Liverpool, England all because of a soccer club, I would’ve paid for your therapy.

"But there I was last March, fulfilling a dream to see a match at Goodison for the first time. I made a choice to support Everton, but in many ways, I was chosen."

Supporter groups are growing in America and Wallner believes almost every city now has one. "There is no lack of opportunity and that is still true today," Johnson adds.

It is now time to begin taking advantage.