2018 Fulham Player Profiles: Tim Ream

Basic Stats: 47 appearances | 47 starts | 0 substitutions | 4,230 minutes | 1 goals | 0 assists

Economics: £1.53 million Transfer Fee | Signed: 2015 | Contract Ends in Summer 2020 plus a 1-year option

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CC Thoughts: With Tim Ream winning the Player of the Season by the club, he is no longer just hidden in the shadow of Fulham’s senior squad. But it wasn’t long ago that plenty were wondering if the American was even good enough to start in the Championship. Now he’s key man that guided Fulham back to the Premier League, has turned his game around to be among the most hard working players in the club, and at 30 years old, has really put his game together to be prepared for 2018/19.

It has been a whirlwind journey for Ream. For starts, he was supposed to be among the next big names to replace Carlos Bocanegra and Oguchi Onyewu represent the United States at center back. Instead, it took a while for him to find his footing in England once he made the move from New York Red Bulls to Bolton Wanderers. By 27, Ream was stuck in England’s second tier without a solution to get out of it.

When he signed for Fulham in 2016, it seemed like a last ditch effort for both the club and the player. The club were desperate to get back to the Premier League and Ream wanted to come good on the potential that he showed when he was playing in the MLS. It took quite a while for him to gain the favor of the home support, but once Slavisa Jokanovic came over and rebuilt the rest of the squad, things fell into place for Ream.

By the time the club were in the midst of their historic unbeaten run, he became one of their most indispensible players. At first, Ream was simply known as a tidy ball-possession center back. But lately, his grit and determination were what stood out the most as the campaign went along and it help garner that we all have seen since.

Now he is rewarded with a chance to prove himself at center stage in one of the toughest leagues in football. However, with the arrival of Maxime Le Marchand and the added buzz that Alfie Mawson might be another addition to Fulham’s lavish transfer window, who knows if Ream might become a full fledged starter. But with so much adversity that has come his way, you know he’ll be there till the end to prove that he belongs on the pitch every matchday.

Key Stat: 285 clearances. By a comfortable distance, no Fulham player was better at hoofing the ball out of the park than Mr. Ream himself. The next closest on that list is Tomas Kalas with only 182 clearances and Ream’s total is the highest he has ever had over a full season since his 2013/14 season with Bolton when he garnered 217.

Your thoughts: So how do we all feel about Mr. Ream? Do you think he deserved being the Player of the Season? How do you expect he’ll perform against Premier League competition? Don’t be afraid to share your thoughts in the comment section below.