As Fulham cut the ribbon on a return to the Premier League last August, their Player of the Season from a playoff-winning promotion was nowhere to be found.
Off the back of five grueling seasons in the English Championship – following a short-lived initial spell in the Premier League with Bolton – Tim Ream was supposed to reap the reward for his persistence. The St. Louis, Mo., native and former New York Red Bulls center back was meant to begin a first full season in the English top flight. Fate had other ideas.
As the Premier League festival returned to little, old Craven Cottage on Aug.