Sean Dyche has hailed Ben Mee as a great leader after passing the captain’s armband to the defender following the summer departure of Tom Heaton. Mee is set to make his 300th appearance for Burnley and will become the 25th player to reach that particular landmark in the post-war era.
Should he start against Sheffield United this weekend, the 30-year-old will make his 49th consecutive top-flight outing, a run stretching back to April 2018.
And the Clarets stalwart has played in every minute of those games – a total of 4,320 – something bound to please his manager.
Dyche, who appointed Mee permanent skipper after Heaton left to join Aston Villa for £8million in the summer, believes the centre-back leads by example. “He’s a leader of his own kind,” said the Turf Moor boss. “He leads with his professionalism, his conduct and his voice somewhat. He’s a well-respected figure.”
Dyche was a no-nonsense centre-half himself in his playing career at Chesterfield, Bristol City, Millwall, Watford and Northampton Town.
The 48-year-old has been influential for Mee’s progression to be the very good Premier League footballer he is today – with still an outside chance of earning an England cap. “Ben’s not the biggest centre-half, he’s not the quickest centre-half, and yet he knows the job like the back of his hand.” added Dyche. “It’s fulfilling the objective rather than worrying about what you are and what you’re deemed to be. “I’ve a lot of respect for what he’s done.”
It’s clearly mutual although when asked to describe his manager in a word recently, Mee couldn’t think of one. “I think the club has changed so much in the seven years he’s been here,” said Mee. “You can see the difference when you come to the training ground and when you come to the stadium.” class=”p402_hide”>
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