The former Academy team captain who led the boy Blues to FA Youth Cup glory only two years ago had a miserable time last season when injuries robbed him of a chunk of playing time.
As a result fellow Platt Lane graduates Greg Cunningham and Dedryck Boyata went hurtling past him in the pecking order and made their first team debuts.
Now Mee wants some of the action and has been impressing at the training camp in Portland where he played the first half of the 3-0 win over local side the Timbers ahead of the team’s switch to New York.
“I thought last year was going to be a big year for me but it turned out to be disappointing,” the central defender reflected.
“Now I have just twelve months left on my contract so this is a huge season for me. Nothing seemed to go right last year so hopefully I will have better luck this time around.
I want to make a mark and see where I can get to
...Defender Ben Mee
“Obviously with Jerome Boateng added to a long list of top class defenders it will not be easy but as a player you have to set yourself high goals and that is what I am doing.
“If that means going out on loan and learning more about the game that way then I would be happy to do that but my main aim is to de well enough this season to stay at City and progress.”
Mee, along with nine other members of the Elite development squad, had been training alongside the Blues star names all week at Nike/Umbro HQ in Oregon before the switch to the East Coast and he believes he has benefitted greatly from the trip.
“The facilities were brilliant and we have worked really hard whilst I have been here,” he declared.
“I have never had a pre-season as tough as this one but just being around players who have won World Cups, title and cup medals and have all that experience is brilliant.
“You learn so much from being amongst the group it is great for all of us younger lads. It certainly leaves you wanting to be an even bigger part of things.”
