Man City handed Burnley a Turf Moor icon - he made 363 apps | OneFootball

Ben See became a Burnley icon after joining from Man City and spending a decade at Turf Moor.

It's fair to say that Manchester City handed Burnley a bargain when they sold Ben Mee to the Clarets for an undisclosed fee back in January 2012.

The centre-back went on to make 363 appearances for the Lancashire outfit, becoming a modern day icon at Turf Moor.

The 35-year-old spent an entire decade at the club, helping to establish them as a genuine top-flight side.

A reliable performer for Sean Dyche over the years, Mee formed a rock-solid partnership with James Tarkowski at the heart of Burnley’s defence, helping them to defy the odds and secure a Europa League spot at the end of the 2017/18 campaign.

Ben Mee was excellent for Burnley over the years, developing into a solid Premier League defender

Mee first joined Burnley on a season-long loan deal ahead of the 2011/12 campaign. The deal was made permanent the following January, with the defender having already made 23 league appearances in the first half of the season.

While Mee’s first taste of life at Burnley came under current Newcastle boss, Eddie Howe, it was under Dyche when he really began to flourish.

The defender played a vital role in Burnley’s backline in the 2013/14 season, which saw them finish second and achieve promotion to the Premier League for the first time since 2010.

He made 38 league appearances that season, and earned himself a three-year contract extension ahead of their top-flight return.

Dyche’s men lasted just one campaign in the top tier, but cantered to the Championship title in 2015/16 to secure an immediate return. Mee started every single league game that season, as the Clarets ended the campaign with a 23-match unbeaten run.

After narrowly avoiding relegation on their Premier League return, Burnley starred in what was arguably one of the Premier League’s biggest underdog stories in recent years in the 2017/18 season.

Against all the odds, Dyche’s side finished seventh and secured European football for the first time in 51 years. Although injuries limited him to just 29 league appearances that season, Mee captained the side when he was available, playing a crucial role in a backline that shipped just 39 league goals all season.

Burnley had their European dream ended by Olympiacos in the Europa League play-off round and it proceeded what was a disappointing season for the club as they finished 15th in the top flight.

Despite another top-half finish in 2019/20, Burnley were ultimately relegated two years later, and Mee left the club that summer upon the expiry of his contract.

Ben Mee has forged himself a solid Premier League career since departing Burnley

When Burnley were relegated back to the Championship, Mee was able to earn himself another Premier League move, joining Brentford on a two-year deal.

The Bees had just finished their first ever season in the top flight, and Mee helped them to a top-half finish in the Premier League for the first time ever in 2022/23.

The Sale-born centre half missed just one league game all season and was named as the Supporters’ Player of the Year at the conclusion of the campaign.

Since then, Mee’s game-time has become increasingly limited as his career begins to wind down. Now 35 and with his contract expiring in the summer, it would be something of a surprise to see him playing Premier League football again next season.

Over the course of his career, he has been a very steady top-flight defender, and he has been part of some particularly steely rearguards.

From Burnley’s point of view, they will never forget the role he played in their rise to European football, and his signing will surely go down as one of the biggest bargains the club have had in recent years.