BEN Mee said leaving Turf Moor never crossed his mind this summer despite other Premier League clubs showing an interest in him.

The defender signed a new three-year contract with the Clarets earlier this week, extending a deal that had just 12 months to run.

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That had given other clubs hope of prising away Burnley’s player’s player of the year from last term, but the 26-year-old said he had always wanted to stay at the club.

West Brom showed an interest in the versatile defender earlier on in the summer, but Mee revealed signing a new deal had simply been held up by a busy few weeks that included his wedding and honeymoon.

“I don’t take much notice of other things going on,” the former Manchester City trainee said of the West Brom speculation.

“I wanted to stay here and I told the gaffer I wanted to stay here. We had a chat and got things sorted.

“There is no reason for me to leave this club at the minute, I’m really enjoying myself and playing for the club and being a big part of it, that’s why I wanted to stay.

“I’ve been improving every year I think. I feel a bigger part of the team and squad with the experience that comes with playing league games.”

Mee believes he has learnt and improved under the guidance of boss Sean Dyche, himself a former defender.

He added: “I’ve learnt plenty from him, his way of thinking and a unit working together as well.

“Just playing games has helped me learn a lot as well, that’s the main thing for a player to do, rather than be a bit part player it’s to get games in.”

Two years ago Mee went through the Premier League campaign as a left-back, apart from a solitary appearance in the middle of defence in an FA Cup tie against Tottenham.

This time around he is a firm fixture in the heart of Burnley’s defence and accepts that will present a different challenge.

But he agrees with Michael Duff’s description of him as a ‘combative, out and out defender’ and can’t wait to come up against the likes of Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Sergio Aguero this season.

“That’s my game really,” said Mee. “I love being a defender and trying to get the better of a centre forward.

“I enjoy that the most, getting the better of somebody and blocking shots and trying to help out the team.

“It’s difficult from full-back to get your voice out there. You’re not tucked away but you’re a bit further away, at centre half you’re more involved and in the spine of the team, so that’s a big part for me this season, trying to be vocal.”

Of coming face-to-face with some of the world’s best strikers, including Ibrahimovic, he added: “It will be nice to be up against him. But that’s what you want, you want to test yourself and see how far you can go.

“You want to see how good you can be and I’m focusing on trying to improve, my aim is to be as good as I can be.”

Mee has notched up 181 competitive games for the Clarets since moving from City, first on loan and then permanently in the summer of 2012.

After coming through the ranks at his boyhood club he felt the time was right to seek first-team football elsewhere, and he believes he made the right decision in opting for Turf Moor.

“That (regular game time) was the idea of coming here and thankfully it’s been a good decision for me,” he said. “I’m glad I made the move.”