FULHAM captain Tim Ream admits there have been plenty of changes at Craven Cottage since making his debut eight years ago.
Saturday’s 3-1 home win over Sheffield United marked the American defender’s 300th Whites appearance, the same opponents he faced in match number one after joining from Bolton all those years ago.
Promotions, relegations, managerial changes and several squad overhauls have all taken place since then, but the now 36-year-old is still part of the furniture at Craven Cottage – alongside one other individual.
Ream told the Daily Mirror: “Sheffield United was my first game at home in the League Cup in 2015.
“Only TC (Tom Cairney) remains from that team.
“A lot has changed – I’ve changed, he’s changed!
“There are guys that come and go, but somehow he and I are still here.
“I think it says a lot that he and I are able to adapt to different styles and different managers.
“That is the name of the game if you want to stick around and stay involved.
“When I look back it has been the ability to adapt, to keep a foot in the door and to keep the shirt for as long as possible.”
Saturday’s 3-1 success over the Blades was the perfect response to last Monday’s lacklustre derby defeat at the hands of Chelsea.
Bobby De Cordova-Reid put Marco Silva’s side in front early in the second half only for the unfortunate Antonee Robinson to score an own goal five minutes later and draw the visitors level.
Blades keeper Wes Foderingham also suffered the indignity of seeing Cairney’s 76th minute attempt go in off him for the second OG of the contest.
Willian wrapped up the points in stoppage time to ensure Fulham moved on from the Chelsea display, although it was the serious injury to Sheffield United’s skipper Chris Basham which was the main talking point afterwards.
The 35-year-old Blades ace suffered a broken leg while delivering a first half cross and today underwent surgery.
Fellow captain Ream was the first on the scene to comfort his opposite number and revealed afterwards what happened.
“You hate to see any professional lying there like that,” the Fulham defender said.
“To see him like that was difficult.
“My first thought – because nobody else was there – was to go over and just grab his hand so he didn’t try to get up, that he didn’t try to look at anything and to just breathe.
“That was it really. It was about being next to him and about being next to a to a fellow professional.
“I just told him to keep calm and let him know that it was me there and that his medical staff were coming.
“It is not easy in that moment. There is not much you can say to help things.”
