AMSTERDAM – Bolton defender/midfielder Tim Ream completed a Player of the Season double on Thursday, adding the official club award to the supporters' prize he picked up on Tuesday.
Splitting time between left back, central defense and midfield, the 26-year-old St. Louis native became the second American in four years to claim the team's top postseason individual honor. Following in the footsteps of recovering teammate Stuart Holden, the 2011 winner, Ream accepted the awards after helping Wanderers post 11 league shutouts.
"It's a really cool feeling to be recognized again by the club's supporters," Ream told the official club website. "As I said before, it's nice and humbling knowing that people think you've done a good job, but at the end of the day it's about the squad."
Ream, who initially experienced some struggles after dropping into the Championship with Bolton, says many factors led to him re-establishing himself as one of the team's reliable performers. After working 15 contests last term, the former Red Bulls ace notched four assists in 41 league matches this season.
"Personally, the past two years have definitely been a real eye-opener," said Ream. "When I was involved last season, I was a little unnerved purely by how different the style was to the other leagues I've played in. There are so many demands in this league and to begin with I probably wasn't prepared for that, but it definitely gave me motivation coming into this season.
"I feel settled off the field, and that's also a big factor whether people believe it or not. I feel happy and am working in a structure and program that really helps us, as players."
