Ben Mee

Ben Mee

Mee playing for Burnley in 2016
Personal information
Full name	Benjamin Thomas Mee [1]
Date of birth	(1989-09-21) 21 September 1989 (age 35) [2]
Place of birth	Sale, England
Height	5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) [2]
Position(s)	Centre-back
Team information
Current team	Brentford
Number	16
Youth career
0000–2010	Manchester City
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2010–2012	Manchester City	0	(0)
2011	→ Leicester City (loan)	15	(0)
2011–2012	→ Burnley (loan)	19	(0)
2012–2022	Burnley	332	(12)
2022–	Brentford	53	(5)
International career
2007–2008	England U19	3	(1)
2009	England U20	5	(0)
2010–2011	England U21	2	(0)
Managerial career
2022	Burnley (assistant)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 23:39, 26 February 2024 (UTC)

Benjamin Thomas Mee (born 21 September 1989) is an English professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for Premier League club Brentford.

Starting his career with Manchester City, Mee only played one League Cup match before being loaned out to Leicester City and Burnley, joining the latter on a permanent basis in January 2012. He has made over 300 appearances for them since then. He has also featured for the England youth teams from under-19 to under-21 level.

Club career

Manchester City

Mee was born in Sale, Greater Manchester. ^[3] He came through Manchester City's academy and signed his first professional contract with the club in September 2007. ^[3] He captained the City team that won the 2007–08 FA Youth Cup. ^{[4] [5]} In February 2009, he signed a new two-year contract that would keep him at City until July 2011. ^[6]

Mee was given his first real test of first-team experience when he was taken on City's US tour in the summer of 2010, with club manager Roberto Mancini expressing that he wanted to blood his youth players and have a chance to see what they could do at a higher level than reserve fixtures. Mee made up two appearances, against the Portland Timbers and New York Red Bulls. ^[7]

After being given number 58 shirt, ^[8] Mee followed up his tour appearances with a starting line-up appearance in the League Cup against West Bromwich Albion on 22 September 2010 in a 2–1 away loss. ^[9] Alongside Mee making his debut, Javan Vidal and John Guidetti were given their first competitive appearances for the club in a match where three of the four players in the defensive line were young Elite Development Squad players and a full six of the starting line-up were aged 21 or younger and had come through the club's academy system.

On 1 January 2011, Mee joined Championship club Leicester City side on loan for the rest of the 2010–11 season. ^[10] After signing for the club, Mee would join his Manchester City's teammate Greg Cunningham at Leicester City. ^[11] After two weeks yet playing them, Mee finally made his debut for Leicester City in a 4–2 win over Millwall. ^[12] On 12 March 2011, Mee provided his first professional assist for Miguel Vítor to score his first goal in the match against Scunthorpe United which he scored twice later in the match which Leicester City won 3–0. ^[13] On 25 April 2011, Mee provided his second assist for Jeffrey Bruma to score against Watford in a 4–2 win. ^[14] After the end of 2010–11 season, Mee returned to Manchester City after a year with the foxes. ^[15]

Burnley

Mee playing for Burnley in 2015

On 14 July 2011, Mee joined Burnley on a season-long loan. ^{[16] [17]} He said that his good performance at Burnley could earn him a chance back at parent club Manchester City next year. ^[18] On 6 August, he made his league debut in a 2–2 draw against Watford and played the full 90 minutes. ^[19] On 29 November, he earned his first clean sheet for Burnley in a 4–0 win over Ipswich Town. ^[20]

On 10 January 2012, Burnley boss Eddie Howe expressed interest in signing Mee on a permanent basis with Manchester City sanctioning a sale just days after signing former Manchester City teammate Kieran Trippier who was also on loan at the club. Mee joined on a permanent three-and-a-half-year deal on 17 January for an undisclosed fee. ^{[21] [22]} His season ended after suffering a slight back fracture which he sustained during a 5–1 win over Portsmouth. ^[23] In combination of his loan spell and permanent spell at Burnley, Mee finished his season with 31 appearances. ^[24]

In the 2012–13 season, Mee started his season when he appeared sporadic at the start until he scored his first goal for the club, in a 2–2 draw against Millwall on 28 September 2012. ^[25] However soon after, he suffered a knee injury during the Lancashire derby, which kept him out for several weeks. ^[26] He made his return from injury, on 11 March 2013, as Burnley and Hull City drew 1–1. ^[27] In the next match six days later, Mee was sent-off after a second bookable offence when Burnley and Blackburn drew 1–1. ^[28] Soon after that, he continued to be sidelined with injuries, including missing out for the rest of the season. ^{[29] [30]}

In the 2013–14 season, Mee sustained a knee injury in a pre-season friendly and made a return, though he missed the first four matches, due to being on the bench. ^{[31] [32]} From late December to January, Mee had been absent twice in weeks. Despite the absence, Mee played a vital role as a left-back position, where he helped the club get promoted to Premier League and made 38 appearances. ^[24]

In the 2014–15 season, Mee signed a three-year contract that would keep him until 2017. ^[33] He made his first Premier League start of the season in the opening match as a left-back, as Burnley lost 3–1 to Chelsea. ^[34] He went on to score the late equaliser for Burnley in the reverse fixture at Stamford Bridge against Chelsea to keep the final score 1–1, his goal being the second goal of the season Chelsea conceded from a corner kick. ^[35]

On 8 August 2018, Mee signed a new three-year deal with Burnley to keep him until June 2021. ^[36]

In June 2020, Mee earned praise for his response to a banner stating "White Lives Matter" that was flown overhead during a league match against Manchester City, condemning the action and speaking of his desire for equality in football and society. ^[37] On 29 July 2020, Burnley triggered an option in Mee's contract to extend his stay at Turf Moor until 2022. ^[38]

Mee, along with Paul Jenkins and Connor King, was appointed an assistant to Mike Jackson on 15 April 2022 after Sean Dyche was dismissed as manager. ^[39] Burnley announced on 10 June that Mee would leave the club at the end of June when his contract expired. ^[40]

Brentford

Mee signed for Premier League club Brentford on 22 July 2022 on a two-year contract. ^[41] On his home debut, Mee scored his first Brentford goal in a 4–0 win over Manchester United on 13 August, helping the Bees secure their first league victory over United since 1937. ^[42] In 2023, he won the Brentford Supporters' Player of the Year award ahead of club top scorer, Ivan Toney. ^[43] In May 2024, he extended his contract with the club for another season. ^{[44] [45]}

International career

At the international level, Mee has represented England at under-21 level, making his debut as a substitute in a friendly against Germany. ^[46]

Career statistics

As of match played 26 February 2024

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition

Club	Season	League			FA Cup		League Cup		Europe		Total
		Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Manchester City	2010–11 [47]	Premier League	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	1	0
Leicester City (loan)	2010–11 [47]	Championship	15	0	0	0	—		—		15	0
Burnley	2011–12 [48]	Championship	31	0	1	0	3	0	—		35	0
	2012–13 [49]	Championship	19	1	0	0	2	0	—		21	1
	2013–14 [50]	Championship	38	0	0	0	3	0	—		41	0
	2014–15 [51]	Premier League	33	2	2	0	0	0	—		35	2
	2015–16 [52]	Championship	46	2	2	0	1	0	—		49	2
	2016–17 [53]	Premier League	34	1	1	0	0	0	—		35	1
	2017–18 [54]	Premier League	29	0	1	0	0	0	—		30	0
	2018–19 [55]	Premier League	38	0	0	0	1	0	4 [lower-alpha 1]	0	43	0
	2019–20 [56]	Premier League	32	1	0	0	0	0	—		32	1
	2020–21 [57]	Premier League	30	2	1	0	0	0	—		31	2
	2021–22 [58]	Premier League	21	3	1	0	2	0	—		24	3
	Total		351	12	9	0	12	0	4	0	376	12
Brentford	2022–23 [59]	Premier League	37	3	1	0	0	0	—		38	3
	2023–24 [60]	Premier League	16	2	1	0	1	0	—		18	2
	Total		53	5	2	0	1	0	—		56	5
Career total			419	17	11	0	14	0	4	0	448	17

1. Appearances in UEFA Europa League

Honours

Manchester City

• FA Youth Cup: 2007–08 ^[61]

Burnley

• Football League Championship: 2015–16 ^[62]

Individual

• Brentford Supporters' Player of the Year: 2022–23 ^[63]

Trivia

Cristiano Ronaldo is often cited to believe him to be "the best player in the world, ever" ^[64] . It is however unclear whether, when making this statement, Ronaldo meant Ben Mee, or someone else of the same surname.

References

1. "FIFA U-20 World Cup Egypt 2009™: List of Players: England" (PDF). FIFA. 6 October 2009. p. 7. Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 October 2009.
2. "Ben Mee: Overview". Premier League. Retrieved 15 April 2022.
3. "Ben Mee". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 15 April 2022.
4. "FA Youth Cup: Manchester City crush Chelsea". The Daily Telegraph. 17 April 2008. Retrieved 23 November 2010.
5. "Mee recalls Youth Cup win". Manchester City F.C. 6 March 2009. Archived from the original on 11 March 2016. Retrieved 20 August 2014.
6. Oscroft, Tim (23 February 2009). "Mee signs new City contract". Manchester City F.C. Archived from the original on 13 March 2016.
7. "US Tour: Red Bulls 2–1 City". Manchester City F.C. 25 July 2010. Archived from the original on 9 March 2016. Retrieved 20 August 2014.
8. "City squad numbers revealed". Manchester City F.C. 29 July 2010. Archived from the original on 1 September 2014. Retrieved 20 August 2014.
9. "West Brom – Manchester City". BBC Sport. 22 September 2010. Retrieved 22 September 2010.
10. "Mee joins Foxes on loan". Manchester City F.C. 1 January 2011. Archived from the original on 8 March 2016. Retrieved 1 January 2011.
11. "Foxes land City youngster". Sky Sports. 1 January 2011. Retrieved 10 April 2012.
12. "Leicester City 4–2 Millwall". Leicester City F.C. 22 January 2011. Archived from the original on 17 June 2010. Retrieved 10 April 2012.
13. "Scunthorpe United 0 – 3 Leicester City". Leicester City F.C. 12 March 2011. Archived from the original on 15 March 2011. Retrieved 10 April 2012.
14. "Leicester City 4–2 Watford". Leicester City F.C. 25 April 2011. Archived from the original on 4 September 2011. Retrieved 10 April 2012.
15. "eicester City's season finishing far too early for Ben Mee". Leicester City F.C. 6 May 2011. Archived from the original on 21 August 2014. Retrieved 10 April 2012.
16. "Burnley get Mee". clarets-mad.co.uk. 14 July 2011. Retrieved 14 July 2011.
17. "City Starlet Mee is First Summer Signing". Burnley F.C. 3 August 2011. Archived from the original on 17 July 2011. Retrieved 29 October 2011.
18. "Mee keen to impress". Sky Sports. 3 October 2011. Retrieved 10 April 2012.
19. "Burnley 2–2 Watford". Burnley F.C. 6 August 2011. Archived from the original on 30 September 2012. Retrieved 10 April 2012.
20. "Burnley 4–0 Ipswich Town". Burnley F.C. 29 November 2011. Archived from the original on 10 March 2012. Retrieved 10 April 2012.
21. "Burnley sign Ben Mee from Manchester City permanently". BBC Sport. 17 January 2012. Retrieved 17 January 2012.
22. "Mee makes permanent move". Sky Sports. 17 January 2012. Retrieved 10 April 2012.
23. "Clarets defender Mee could miss rest of season". Lancashire Telegraph. 5 April 2012. Retrieved 20 August 2014.
24. InCrowd. "10 YEARS OF BEN MEE". Burnley Football Club. Retrieved 3 May 2022.
25. "Burnley 2–2 Millwall". BBC Sport. 28 September 2012. Retrieved 20 August 2014.
26. "Mee in Injury Setback". Burnley F.C. 4 December 2012. Archived from the original on 20 August 2014. Retrieved 20 August 2014.
27. "Burnley 0–1 Hull City". Burnley F.C. 11 March 2013. Archived from the original on 20 August 2014. Retrieved 20 August 2014.
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30. "Dyche: Opportunity Knocks". Burnley F.C. 18 April 2013. Archived from the original on 20 August 2014. Retrieved 20 August 2014.
31. "Mee A Doubt For Season Opener". Burnley F.C. 23 July 2013. Archived from the original on 20 August 2014. Retrieved 20 August 2014.
32. "Mee Returns To Action". Burnley F.C. 7 August 2013. Archived from the original on 20 August 2014. Retrieved 20 August 2014.
33. "Turf Moor Is The Place For Mee". Burnley F.C. 30 July 2014. Archived from the original on 20 August 2014. Retrieved 20 August 2014.
34. "Burnley 1–3 Chelsea". BBC Sport. 20 August 2014. Retrieved 18 August 2014.
35. "Chelsea 1–1 Burnley". BBC Sport. 21 February 2015.
36. "Burnley defender Ben Mee signs new three-year deal with the club". Talksport. 8 August 2018. Retrieved 25 September 2020.
37. "Rio Ferdinand heaps praise on Ben Mee for calling out fans behind White Lives Matter plane". Daily Mirror. Retrieved 25 September 2020.
38. "Mee Extends Turf Moor Stay". Burnley F.C. 30 July 2020. Archived from the original on 29 September 2020. Retrieved 25 September 2020.
39. "Burnley sack manager Sean Dyche with eight games left of Premier League season". BBC Sport. 15 April 2022. Retrieved 15 April 2022.
40. InCrowd. "BURNLEY FC RETAINED LIST CONFIRMED". Burnley Football Club. Retrieved 10 June 2022.
41. "Brentford sign Ben Mee". Brentford F.C. 22 July 2022. Retrieved 13 August 2022.
42. Gault, Matt (13 August 2022). "Brentford 4–0 Manchester United: Bees run riot in first half to humiliate visitors". BBC Sport. Retrieved 17 August 2022.
43. "Mee wins Brentford Supporters' Player of the Year". www.brentfordfc.com. Retrieved 28 May 2023.
44. "Mee signs new Brentford contract". www.brentfordfc.com. 16 May 2024. Retrieved 19 May 2024.
45. "Brentford news: Ben Mee signs new one-year contract". BBC Sport . 16 May 2024. Retrieved 19 May 2024.
46. "Germany v England". The Football Association. 16 November 2010. Retrieved 23 November 2010.
47. "Games played by Ben Mee in 2010/2011". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 15 April 2022.
48. "Games played by Ben Mee in 2011/2012". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 15 April 2022.
49. "Games played by Ben Mee in 2012/2013". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 15 April 2022.
50. "Games played by Ben Mee in 2013/2014". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 15 April 2022.
51. "Games played by Ben Mee in 2014/2015". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 15 April 2022.
52. "Games played by Ben Mee in 2015/2016". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 15 April 2022.
53. "Games played by Ben Mee in 2016/2017". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 15 April 2022.
54. "Games played by Ben Mee in 2017/2018". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 15 April 2022.
55. "Games played by Ben Mee in 2018/2019". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 15 April 2022.
56. "Games played by Ben Mee in 2019/2020". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 15 April 2022.
57. "Games played by Ben Mee in 2020/2021". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 15 April 2022.
58. "Games played by Ben Mee in 2021/2022". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 13 August 2022.
59. "Games played by Ben Mee in 2022/2023". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 25 April 2023.
60. "Games played by Ben Mee in 2023/2024". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 20 January 2024.
61. "City win FA Youth Cup". Manchester City F.C. 16 April 2008. Retrieved 19 September 2022.
62. Anderson, John, ed. (2016). Sky Sports Football Yearbook 2016–2017. London: Headline Publishing Group. pp. 94–95. ISBN   978-1-4722-3395-0.
63. "Mee wins Brentford Supporters' Player of the Year". www.brentfordfc.com. Retrieved 24 May 2023.
64. "Ronaldo: Mee is the best player in the world". youtube.com. Retrieved 2 November 2024.

External links

• Profile at the Brentford F.C. website
• Ben Mee – UEFA competition record ( archive )