BURNLEY’S mid-season training camp in Portugal was no holiday, according to boss Sean Dyche, writes NATHAN EGERTON.

The Clarets squad spent four days abroad for some warm weather training ahead of today’s game against Tottenham.

And Dyche said he felt the Clarets found the right mix between work and play.

He said: “It was a working break so it was a break of sorts. We worked, there was a bit of downtime, a bit of golf and then we worked again so we found that nice healthy balance.”

Defender Ben Mee agreed with his manager that the trip involved plenty of hard work and said the squad will benefit from the continental excursion.

“It wasn’t a break, it was plenty of hard work for us,” said the 29-year-old.

“The gaffer wanted to work us hard and we’ve had that same level of intensity we’d have during a game week, we’ve maybe even raised it a little bit.”

Dyche was pleased with the facilities in the Algarve and he hopes that the change of environment benefitted the squad, with the entire first team staff making the trip.

“It was a really good place actually, the campus was very nice and it was a very great facility,” said Dyche.

“We have been here long enough to know our players and know what helps make them tick so we used that format. They have come back in this week and they look well.

“We took literally everyone, we took the medical team, we took the sports science team, ourselves obviously and all the injured players.

“I think when the whole group is together it keeps the injured players in with the group and in the feel of it so we just thought it was important.”

The Clarets are seven games unbeaten in the Premier League ahead of the visit of Spurs but the mini-break was not a reward for positive results, with Dyche always planning a warm weather get together if the opportunity arose.

“We were going to do it anyway and sometimes people misconstrue it and say it’s because you’ve had some good results, that’s irrelevant,” added Dyche.

“If this opportunity came like it did last year then we were definitely going to do it anyway so it’s not to do with just a change of results but I think it does add to that with a good feeling in the camp at the moment.”