United States captain Tim Ream praised Derby County striker Patrick Agyemang and said he’s noticed the the 25-year-old American striker’s development overseas playing in the Championship.
“Everything has developed a little bit more, and he’s still not finished. And I think that’s the scary thing, and the really good thing,” Ream said ahead of friendlies this month for the U.S. against Belgium and Portugal. “He’s playing confident, and he’s scoring goals.
“I’m seeing games that he’s playing, he’s playing full 90-minute matches. For me that tells me he’s in a place mentally and physically that he feels good. And when you feel good, you just feel like you can do anything.”
The striker, who is in the running for a World Cup roster spot this summer, has 10 goals and three assists in his first season with Derby County. Having played in MLS alongside Ream with Charlotte FC before his move to Derby, Agyemang noted the difference between MLS and the English second division after going abroad in 2025.
“The biggest one that I always say, it was just the physicality part. It’s very, very intense as well. In England, it was just very demanding on that,” said Agyemang. “At times you think you get a foul or something, and it’s just not a call, and it’s play on and play on. So obviously it’s very aggressive in that nature”
Ream, who spent time in the Championship as well through previous stints with Fulham and Bolton Wanderers, highlighted how the league could benefit players like Agyemang.
“Football is football. There’s different ways of playing, [but] the Championship, for me, I think it makes you grow up. It makes you understand and appreciate what it takes day in and day out,” said Ream. “You’re playing Saturday, Tuesday, Saturday, and it forces you to really look at all the small things in terms of recovery, in terms of what you’re doing when you’re not training.”
As for the U.S. team, Ream discussed the significance of the current camp for head coach Mauricio Pochettino and his players with just a few months to go until the World Cup.
“The message is pretty consistent, and that’s not really changed from any other camps that we’ve had previously,” Ream said. “It’s the most important camp, just as when we were in camp in November, that was the most important camp.
“So it’s important to stay focused on the here and now.”
The USMNT will face Belgium on March 28 and Portugal on March 31. Both friendlies will be at Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
The Americans begin Group D play at the World Cup on June 12 against Paraguay at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California.
