Charlotte FC signs Tim Ream, a Premier League and U.S. men’s national team defender
With its first signing of the summer transfer window, Charlotte FC has bolstered its defense by acquiring veteran U.S. men’s national team defender Tim Ream from Premier League side Fulham.
The 36-year-old centerback will make his MLS return with the Queen City side after 13 years in England’s Premier League and Championship with Bolton and Fulham. Ream’s vast experience at the club and international level should help strengthen a Charlotte FC defense that already ranks among the league’s best this season, conceding just 27 goals in 25 games.
“When you feel kind of excited about something, you don’t want to let that kind of excitement kind of slip through your fingers and pass you by,” Ream told The Charlotte Observer. “It’s a new challenge. It’s a different challenge, and I’ve always been someone who is happy and willing to step out of a comfort zone.”
The St. Louis native played his college soccer locally at Saint Louis University before being drafted by New York Red Bulls in the second round of the 2010 MLS SuperDraft. He played two full MLS seasons before joining Bolton, then in England’s Premier League, in January 2012.
Ream spent three and a half years with Bolton before his nine-season stint at Fulham, which saw him make 312 appearances across all competitions for the London side and winning the EFL Championship, the second division of English soccer, in 2022.
Ream continued to develop and grow as a player, becoming a key player for the U.S. in the latter stages of his career and even being told by legendary Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola that if he was a decade younger, he’d be playing for the reigning Premier League champions. He’s made 61 total appearances for the U.S. men’s national team.
Ream was largely a regular for Fulham over the last few years before falling out of favor toward the end of last season after missing a few games with a calf injury. He only made five appearances after extending his contract at Fulham in December 2023.
The defender will have the opportunity to make his return to MLS against his former club, as Charlotte FC’s next match will be Aug. 24 against New York Red Bulls.
“It’s almost a full circle kind of moment,” Ream said. “You play in New York for two years, you leave New York and your first game back is playing New York. It’s weird how the game works out. … For that to be my first club, and then that’s who we’re playing the first game back is a pretty crazy coincidence.”
“I’m a little upset actually that we’re out of Leagues Cup … I was looking forward to being in that and potentially getting some game time under my belt,” Ream said.
Ream will join a strong defense that’s established itself as one of the best in the league with a dramatic improvement this season. The Queen City side has enjoyed success with young centerbacks Andrew Privett and Adilson Malanda with more experienced players at fullback and in goal.
“I love playing with guys and developing relationships and partnerships and helping guys look better and be better and improve their own games,” Ream said. “It’s fun for me to see a guy go from one level to the next level and continue to improve. And for me coming here, I’ll be able to do that. I’ll be able to step in and lend my expertise and my experience, while also pushing myself to try to hit new levels.”
Ream could replace Privett as left-sided central defender, but he also has experience at left back and his addition could allow for more rotation. Regardless of who’s starting, the acquisition will improve the Queen City side’s depth across the backline down the stretch.
“One of the ways that I’ve been looking at it over the last probably month to month and a half is that if you go into a team that’s really struggling, all of the sudden you’re being looked at as the guy to come in and patch things up and save things,” Ream said. “You’re looked at as being this superstar, and I’ll never claim to be that guy.”
“When you can come into a stable environment when it is this big of a change, it’s such a good feeling because it allows you to adjust quicker. It allows you to not (have) that crazy amount of pressure from the outside, because we already put enough pressure on ourselves from the inside. Nobody is harder on me than me.”
Charlotte’s defensive prowess has been key to first-year head coach Dean Smith’s success in the Queen City. The third-year club is on course for its best MLS finish yet and sit sixth in the Eastern Conference with 37 points in 25 games.
“I know the manager from playing against him quite a few times in England,” Ream said. “Just having conversations with him, what he demands, what he’s trying to do, what he tries to bring to the group and what he’s trying to develop — just a team that’s really hard to beat, which he’s done that, he’s delivered on that.
“Now he, from what I understand, wants to take that next step and be able to go and attack teams while also being hard to beat and solid defensively.”
Ream’s personal connections also helped find a home and schools in the Queen City, something that was important to him when considering the move. He knew people from his kids’ school in London that had moved to England from Charlotte and spoke highly of the city, as did others close to Ream who had their own connections in the Queen City.
“With the young family ... the biggest thing for us is making sure that we’re talking to genuine, authentic people who are either from here or have connections here and were able to kind of point us in the right directions and places to go and be,” Ream said.
This story was originally published August 7, 2024 at 9:02 AM.
