Pep Guardiola favourite Tim Ream: USMNT's best player in Europe this season

It's somewhat hard to believe now but when the U.S. men's national team's World Cup squad was announced in November, Tim Ream was something of a shock inclusion.

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After more than a year out of the picture, Ream was suddenly back just in time for Qatar.

At age 35, the centerback was going to be reintroduced to the second-youngest team at the World Cup after being largely excluded during qualifying.

Shortly after announcing that decision, USMNT head coach Gregg Berhalter was asked to explain it, and he did so by using a story.

“Tim Ream just played against Man City and after the game, [Pep] Guardiola walks up to him and says, ‘If you were 24 instead of 34, you’d be playing for me,'” Berhalter said on Futbol Americas.

“Tim said, ‘It’s too bad, I’m not even 34, I’m 35!'"

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We all know what happened next. Ream became an integral part of the USMNT's run at the World Cup and was, arguably, the team's best player in Qatar.

And now, as the 2022-23 European seasons roll on, Ream has built on that World Cup momentum, solidifying his place among the Premier League's elite with his performances week in, week out.

So, maybe Guardiola wasn't exaggerating at all...