Fulham are headed to the Premier League, and U.S. men’s national team defender Tim Ream is going with them after signing a new two-year contract with the club on Friday.
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Ream, 30, had just one year remaining on his previous contract — at a presumably less wage than his new deal, given the Cottagers spent the last four seasons in the Championship — thus there was serious doubt over whether or not he would make the first-division jump with the west London club this summer.
The St. Louis, Mo., native was named Fulham’s Player of the Season in 2017-18, a season in which he made 47 of a possible 51 league appearances (including the promotion playoffs) and was an ever-present anchor for a side that finished with the sixth-best defensive record in England’s second division.
There was even talk of a return to MLS, where he started his career with the New York Red Bulls, in 2010, before making the jump overseas a year later. Ream’s new contract also includes an option for the 2020-21 season.