On Sunday afternoon, Yerry Mina finally made his first start in a Barcelona shirt. Almost a month on from his presentation in the Camp Nou, he lined up against Getafe for the 23rd round of games in La Liga as the home side were held to a 0-0 draw.

Mina, Barcelona's only available centre-back with Pique and Vermaelen injured and Umtiti suspended, was deployed alongside Lucas Digne, meaning that he would have the added task of commanding the back four.

As might be expected in his first full game, he looked a little nervous when put under pressure and almost made a costly error as he was drawn towards the ball in the first minute, only for Amath Ndiaye to be given offside. He also gave away a clumsy free-kick in a dangerous position after 37 minutes, but fortunately for the Colombian, it came to nothing.

At the other end, however, he looked extremely dangerous and had a shot blocked half way through the first half, a header saved half way through the second and nodded another opportunity wide moments later, stopping him making what would have been a dream start.

In the second period he looked more settled, passing the ball with grace and advancing into the midfield. Given his side's clean sheet, the game can only be considered a success for the 23-year-old.

The weeks of waiting must have seemed interminable for the man signed from Brazilian club Palmeiras for €11.8 million. But it is nothing compared to the long path he has travelled since his youthful days in the tiny town of Guachané, in the south-west of Colombia, an area historically marked by the violent conflicts between FARC rebels and paramilitary forces.

Mina’s dad, José Eulises, was a professional footballer with Colombian outfits Deportivo Cali and Once Caldas, playing between the posts, and his son started his own football career wanting to follow in his father’s footsteps.

“One day I told him that I didn’t want him to be a ‘keeper”, José Eulises told Colombia’s El País newspaper, “because I, more than anything else, know about the sacrifice and responsibility that being a goalkeeper implies.”

It must be a decision that the Mina family now look back on very fondly. 

Playing outfield, Yerry was given his opportunity at local side Deportivo Pasto, with whom he impressed in their run to the round-of-16 of the 2013 Copa Sudamericana, first as a midfielder before being moved back to his current position in the centre of defence.

Those early displays earned him a €170,000 move to Independiente Santa Fe, a Bogotá-based giant, where he once again made his mark, combining his towering 1.95m frame with pace, agility and ability on the ball that is rare in players of such stature.

Forming a formidable defensive partnership with Francisco Meza, Mina marshalled Santa Fe to triumphs in Colombia’s 2014 Torneo Finalización and 2015 Superliga. In the second of those victories, he gave an early demonstration of his knack of scoring goals in big games - as well as his now-famous dance moves - after getting the opener in the second leg of the final.

It was during this period in Mina’s career that José Eulises became sure of the fact that his son was firmly set on a rapid upward trajectory.

Yerry’s composure on the ball, Mina Sr said, “pushes him to do something unusual, that not many players do, where his technique makes him the team’s reference point, [with] his ease and confidence to come out from the back and get forwards. Since then we started to believe that he would go on to great things.”

Even more impressively, Santa Fe went on to win the 2015 Copa Sudamericana, South America’s Europa League equivalent, and Mina thrust himself firmly into the international spotlight, earning a first call up to the Colombia squad for the 2016 Copa América.

It was a surprise, perhaps, that a European club did not take a punt on him at this point, given the promise he had shown. Instead, he headed to Brazil and Palmeiras, who paid what now looks a bargain €3 million for his services.

Once there he became an integral part of the team alongside fellow centre-back Vitor Hugo and continued to display his defensive dominance, with his physique, technique and athleticism proving insurmountable for the vast majority of forwards that were brave enough to confront him. He also cemented his reputation as one of the biggest attacking aerial threats around. Mina scored in each of Palmeiras’ big clássicos, against Santos, São Paulo and Corinthians, as his side, which also included Gabriel Jesus, romped to the Brazilian title.

Big goals in local derbies are always a fantastic way to endear yourself to the locals and these efforts, combined with his larger-than-life on-pitch personality and eye-catching goal celebrations, quickly turned him into a terrace hero at o Verdão.

His infectious charm and charisma is something he has carried with him to Barcelona, pleasing fans at his presentation with his choice to remove his shoes and socks as a mark of respect when taking his first steps onto the hallowed Camp Nou turf. He told the gathered press that “This is my home now. There is a verse in the bible that says, ‘I will give you every place that you plant your feet.’ I want to make history here.”

According to reports from Spain he has also made a positive impression on his new team-mates, who have taken kindly to his humble attitude and desire to learn, especially from his more experienced South American colleagues such as Suarez and Messi.

Despite his relatively assured debut performance and all the talent he possesses, there are a couple of questions that hang over Mina's head as to whether he will be a long-term success in Catalonia.

First is his injury record. At Palmeiras, his 2017 season was seriously interrupted by muscular problems and with such a big frame, looking after himself physically will be paramount.

There is also the question as to how he will fit into the famous Barcelona style of play. At Palmeiras he played in a side that got the ball forward quickly, looking to hit adversaries on the counter. At the Camp Nou he will have to exchange many more passes with his colleagues and in particular Sergio Busquets. The young defender certainly has the ability to play the ball, but only time will tell as to how well he can pass, receive, pass and receive again when opposition teams choose to employ a high press.

Back in Guachané, there is no doubt that all eyes were fixed on television sets as their boy took his first steps in the blaugrana shirt. He is the pride not just of the region, but of the whole nation, as the first Colombian to play in an official game for the Catalan giants. They will certainly be hoping that he can cement a place in the first team and put in some big performances before the World Cup in Russia.

Whatever happens, you can be assured that Mina will do it the only way he knows how, with a smile on his face and salsa spring in his step.