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Billy Hogan believes Liverpool will continue to reap the benefits of their pre-season tour of America after the trip showcased the club’s remarkable pulling power.

The Reds returned home last week after playing in five US cities in front of around 240,000 supporters.

Brendan Rodgers’ side met Roma in Boston before taking part in the International Champions Cup. They reached in the final in Miami where they were beaten by Manchester United.

Chief commercial officer Hogan was with Rodgers’ squad every step of the way and says Liverpool are ideally placed to take advantage of the growing passion for the sport in the States.

As well as strengthening ties with existing sponsors such as Warrior, Subway, Dunkin’ Donuts and General Motors (their American brand Buick sponsored the match at Fenway Park), the tour is also expected to lead to more lucrative deals being struck.

In the era of Financial Fair Play, maximising commercial revenues is a vital part of ensuring the Reds are able to compete for the best talent and the biggest prizes.

“The tour was a great success,” Hogan told the ECHO.

“Our goal was always to reach the final and we achieved that. The crowds, especially in Charlotte and New York, were incredible.

“The US is a very important market for us. We have over 20 million fans across the country.

“The tour was another reminder of what an enormous club Liverpool is.

“It was an opportunity to bring the club closer to the fans and our partners helped us to do that with the meet and greet and the signing sessions we held with the players.

“We have some great partners in the US already and I think that number will grow.

“When you see not only the size of the crowds but the balance of the crowd at a place like Yankee Stadium where it was significantly red, people will see – particularly in the US – the size and strength of our fanbase.

“Certainly we would welcome more partners and the growth of soccer in the US is making that an easier decision for people who are deciding where their marketing dollars are going.”

Liverpool banked in excess of £5million from participating in the tournament but Hogan, who currently commutes between Merseyside and Boston, insists football rather than commercial gains were behind accepting the invitation to take part.

“We spend a lot of time in advance of these tours making sure the number one goal is football,” he added. “Brendan mentioned the fact that it’s part of your responsibility as a global club to try and bring the club out to the fans. But we take football into consideration first and then we work around that.”

There was more to the tour than simply building up the players’ fitness levels and selling shirts.

A group of Liverpool FC Foundation coaches worked tirelessly as they hosted coaching sessions for American youngsters throughout the trip.

“They did an unbelievable job,” Hogan said.

“Other than the players, they were probably the hardest working guys on the tour.

“They worked with all sorts of community groups around the US and did a great job. A big part of what we do is trying to leave a legacy behind.”

Now Hogan’s focus has turned to sorting out destinations for Liverpool’s 2015 summer tour.

There are plans to hold the International Champions Cup in Australia next July and Liverpool are once again expected to be involved.

During their previous trip Down Under in 2013 they played in front of a 95,000 sell-out at the historic Melbourne Cricket Ground.

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It’s highly likely that they will also play a match in the Far East where they always command fanatical support.

“We haven’t decided yet on next summer but it’s something we’re working on already,” Hogan said.

“We will put the final plans together over the next two months or so. We will take a look at what the options are and go from there.

“We had an unbelievable trip to Melbourne last year. Australia and Asia will certainly factor into our thinking.

“It’s always a challenge because it’s such a global club. We have fans in every corner of the world.”

A return to America has already been pencilled in for 2016.

“There are still a lot of great cities there that we haven’t visited yet,” Hogan added. “The US is a growing market and from our perspective we will certainly be back again.”