Tim Ream named Fulham Player of the Season

Tim Ream capped off a fantastic year at the club level by being named Fulham’s Player of the Season. The American center back was a key part of the side that earned promotion to the Premier League after a third place finish in the Championship and progressing through the play-offs.

Ream earned 61 percent of the fan voting. English starlet Ryan Sessegnon — who scored 15 goals in 46 appearances — finished in second place with 15 percent.

Ream took to Twitter to thank the fans of the club:

The 30-year old St. Louis native made 44 league appearances this past season. He joined The Cottagers in 2015 after a four-year stint with Bolton Wanderers (with whom he also earned a few Player of the Year Awards).

He also earned effusive praise from the club’s media staff.

“The ‘American Dream’ was for me the team member who most consistently played to the best of their ability throughout the whole season as well as constantly assisting the players around him, despite a number of key personnel changes in the back five,” commentator Jim McGullion told Fulham’s official website. “His temperament, attitude, discipline, work ethic, courage and desire to be his best were exemplary.”

Ream is the third American to be named Fulham’s player of the year. Brian McBride won the award following the 2005-2006 and 2006-2007 seasons; Clint Dempsey earned similar back-to-back recognition for the 2010-2011 and 2011-2012 seasons.

The good news is that Ream is peaking at the right time: a World Cup year.

Unfortunately, there’s a sad reality everyone connected to American soccer will have to face for the rest of eternity: the U.S. men’s national team didn’t make the World Cup.

It’s a bitter pill to swallow, but for some players — like Ream — glory at the club level provides some applesauce to make it go down easier.