'The time is right': Burnley favourite Ben Mee announces retirement at 36
Burnley favourite Ben Mee has announced his retirement from football at the age of 36.
The defender has opted to call it a day after recently announcing he will be leaving Sheffield United at the end of his contract this summer.
Mee announced he was “disappointed” not to have earned more opportunities at Bramall Lane, having made just four appearances since the turn of the year.
The Sale-born centre-back, who made his name at Turf Moor, has now announced he’s hanging up the boots.
Mee spent 11 seasons with the Clarets, first signing on loan before sealing a permanent move from Manchester City in 2012. He famously struck up a rock-solid partnership with James Tarkowski under the management of Sean Dyche.
The former England Under-21 international was part of two promotion-winning sides in East Lancashire, before helping Burnley secure two top-10 finishes and a return to European competition after half a century.
He made 376 appearances for the club, scoring 12 goals. He was even part of Mike Jackson’s caretaker team when Dyche was sacked.
In truly classy manner, Mee announced his Turf Moor departure in 2022 by bidding his goodbyes with a full-page advertisement in the Burnley Express.
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Mee spent three years at Brentford after leaving the Clarets, before his final season with the Blades.
“After loving every minute of my career, I’ve decided the time is right to call it a day and hang up my boots for the foreseeable,” Mee told Sky Sports.
"It’s been a tough decision. Obviously it’s been my whole life, as any other footballer would tell you.
"But I had it in my mind this season was probably going to be my last season. I wanted to give it everything I had this season as play as many games as possible, but I felt it’s the right time.
"I’m looking forward to new challenges along the way and new chapter.”
It comes just a few days after one of Mee’s Burnley teammates, Sam Vokes, also announced his retirement.
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