US National Team defender Tim Ream joins Charlotte FC

CHARLOTTE FC

Centerback Tim Ream, who has played in the English Premier League and the U.S. Men's National Team, has signed with Charlotte FC.

The left-footed centerback that Charlotte FC coach Dean Smith has been talking about bringing to the roster has a name.

Tim Ream, a St. Louis native who began his professional career with New York Red Bulls in 2010 after being selected 18th overall in the MLS SuperDraft, comes to Charlotte after spending the last 12 years in the English Premier League.

Now 36, Ream has a contract through 2026 with an option for 2027.

“I’m really excited to join Charlotte FC and return to the US for this next chapter of my career,” Ream said in statement. “In all my conversations with the people around the club, it was clear this organization and city were the right places for my family and I to continue our journey. I’m here to win, and I’m looking forward to getting to know the team as we prepare for a key stretch of matches that will propel us toward the playoffs as we fight for our first trophy.”

From MLS to the EPL

With the Red Bulls, Ream made an immediate impact with his field vision and passing. He started all 30 matches in his rookie season, helping anchor the defense as New York won its second Eastern Conference title and was a finalist for Rookie of the Year.

After training with the then-EPL Bolton Wanderers during the MLS offseason in 2011, he signed with them in 2012, making 114 appearances before moving to Fulham in 2015.  Nicknamed “Fulhamerica” for its openness in signing and playing Americans, including national team stars Brian McBride, Clint Dempsey, Carlos Bocanegra, and Kasey Keller, Ream became a fixture in the Craven Cottage defense over the next nine seasons and 312 appearances.

A man not to be underestimated

Ream’s story at Fulham is proof that Charlotte is getting a proven team player and another leader for the dressing room.

In 2016, then-Fulham manager Slavisa Jokanovic told Ream he could look for work elsewhere as he wasn’t in the team’s long-term plans. Jokanovic told Fulham’s website, “I didn’t want Tim in the team. I called him and told him, ‘Listen, Tim, you won’t play with me, it’s better for you if you look for another team.’”

Ream refused and let the coach know he would prove him wrong.  

“Day by day he improved,” Jokanovic admitted. “He wanted to show me and explain to me that I was wrong, and show me that he was a good player. He did a good job, and was a really, really important player for the style that we played. And I didn’t have any problem recognizing this in front of all the team.

“I said this guy is an example for all of you, because I didn’t want him here, but he deserved to be skipper of the team by the end. It was a positive example for me. You have to respect his work, how he improved in this period.”
Ream became a team captain and was honored as Fulham’s Player of the Season for 2017-18.

Fulham were promoted three times during Ream’s tenure in West London, with the club winning the EFL Championship in 2022 and through the playoffs in 2018 and 2020. In a stellar 2022-23 campaign, Ream made 33 Premier League appearances and helped Fulham finish in the top half of the English topflight for the first time in over a decade.

“Tim is a Fulham legend, an indelible presence in our defense, an unparalleled professional, and a great friend to so many of us at the club,” said Fulham owner Tony Khan. “We'll miss him, but he goes with our best wishes for the rest of his wonderful career.”

Ream’s national team career, which began in 2010, has had doubters as well. Ream was written off by many prior to the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar but started all four matches and was arguably the USA’s best player. He also started every match for the USMNT at Copa America 2024 this summer and now has 61 caps with the national team.

What’s next

Ream will be available when Charlotte returns to regular season action, coincidentally against New York Red Bulls on Aug. 24.

As it stands, he will most likely move Andrew Privett out of the central defense where he will partner with Adilson Malanda, barring any last second moves from European clubs for the Crown’s 22-year-old French centerback before the transfer window closes on Aug. 14.

“Tim has been a rock at the back for Fulham for the last decade and has proven himself as one of the best central defenders the United States has ever produced,” general manager Zoran Krneta said in a statement.

"His Premier League and World Cup credentials speak for themselves, and he’s been ever-present in big moments for club and country. He comes to us in good form and upgrades an already excellent defense as we prepare for the final stretch of the season to qualify for the playoffs.

"Tim is the type of player who is hungry for trophies, and he can help us push for our first one. He is a leader on the pitch and in the locker room, and he will be an invaluable mentor to our younger players."

Charlotte can make further high-impact signings before the window closes with both designated player and U22 Initiative flexibility. The Crown has been linked to signing 19-year old Israeli Idan Toklomati from Maccabi Petah Tikvah, the same club where Crown winger Liel Abada played.

Comments