BEN Mee says he endured one of his hardest days in football under Sean Dyche, but it inspired one of the best.

A gruelling pre-season session in the summer of 2013 became notorious as 'Gaffer's Day'.

But Mee puts their hard graft down to building a team spirit and mentality that earned the first of two promotions to the Premier League.

And as Dyche approaches his fifth anniversary they are methods that continue to serve the club well as they seek top flight survival for the second year running.

“It was one of the toughest days I’ve had in football," Mee recalled of their Irish training camp in July 2013, when Dyche had players working together, and competing against each other, to move tractor tyres from one end of a pitch to another

“It was a hot day as well.

“It was absolutely roasting and we were flipping tyres and running with tyres.

“It was an important part of his message though. We were just getting on with it and enjoying working hard.

“That’s something we’ve taken on board, we enjoy working hard for each other.

“The gaffer said that afterwards we would feel great that we’d got through it, and you do. It’s great for team bonding.

“It wasn’t about fitness, it’s more about mentality, how you deal with it and work together.

“The gaffer likes to see how you take it and everyone did really well."

Burnley went on to finish that season as runners up to Championship winners Leicester City, and win automatic promotion to the Premier League.

“We have gone from strength to strength,” said Mee, who is captaining the team in the absence of the injured Tom Heaton.

“We’ve always had something to fight for, which has made it really exciting.

“That first promotion, when we were tipped for relegation, to just go and prove everyone wrong and stay the distance was great.

“We were up there halfway through the season and got stronger throughout the season, which was a brilliant feeling. Throughout the group every day of training we could sense something really special was happening.

“Then there was being able to play in the Premier League for the first time; the second promotion and staying up, we’ve been building every year."