The Best Defenders Ever to Play for Burnley

Last updated : 31 July 2024 By Footymad

Who would you rank as the best Burnley players of all time? Many of these are probably midfielders and strikers. Yet no league win or promotion is ever earned by leaking goals, and the back four are vital to success. Below, we discuss the best defenders ever to play for Burnley. 

Kieran Trippier

Kieran Trippier came out of Manchester City's academy. After spells on loans to Barnsley, he then signed for Burnley in 2011 on loan, in a move that then became permanent. He was part of the team that helped the club get Premier League promotion. 
 
With his career taking off, he naturally moved to bigger clubs such as Tottenham Hotspur, Athletico Madrid and eventually Newcastle. However, many will know him from his sterling efforts as part of Gareth Southgate's England squad.  He debuted with the senior squad in 2017, playing in the 2018 World Cup.  

At 33, it remains to be seen if Trippier will make the 2026 World Cup. He has proven himself as a strong, resilient right-back who is not afraid to push forward when required. All this also depends on who the England manager will be at this time. Graham Potter is being given even odds in the football betting to take the role of manager as of July 2024. However, more interesting is second favourite Eddie Howe. Being from Newcastle, his existing relationship with Trippier could see him selected despite his advancing age.  

John Angus 

It seems a strange concept in the modern era that a player would have a whole professional career with one team. John Angus did just that, playing for Burnley between 1956 and 1972. He also gained a solitary England cap. 

Angus hailed from Amble in Northumberland. He played for a local team before being signed to Burnley. He struggled to make it out of the reserve team until the squad was hit with injury, and he duly stepped up. This gave him the role of regular right back, and with a solid foundation at the back, the club would win the football league title in 1960. His total appearances came to 430 league games, with 521 when cup games are added.  

Ben Mee

Ben Mee was another professional who came from Manchester City. He moved from the club to Leicester City on loan and then to Burnley, where his contract was later changed to a permanent one. He was signed to the club by Eddie Howe, who also signed Trippier at the same time. This brought in a golden era of defence. 
 
He was with the club until the 10th of June 2022, when he moved to Brentford. Arguably, this was the greatest period of his career. He was part of the team that beat Manchester United 4-0 and scored on his debut. He has since extended his contract with the club.  

Connor Roberts

Connor Roberts is a Welsh national, who started out at Swansea City . He had a loan deal at Yeovil Town, Bristol Rovers, and Middlesbrough, as well as being called up to the Welsh team.  


Roberts signed with Burnley in August 2021. However, it would be a loan spell to Leeds in which he would prosper, scoring against Leicester City. His performance has seen the club announce that he would be called back as soon as the loan spell ends.  

Alex Elder

Alex Elder was a Northern Ireland international, who came to the club from Irish team Glentoran. He was part of Harry Potts's legendary side in 1959. Originally, he was in the reserves. However, when he was called up to a match against Preston, his perfectly timed tackles gained him a permanent spot in the squad. The season would bring the club their solitary league championship win.  

Elder joined a club that was full of fantastic players to learn from. He would play in the European Cup campaign and the FA Cup final. In his later years, he would even gain the captain's armband for the team. In 1967, he reluctantly accepted a move to Stoke City. 

Burnley has had plenty of great players, both from its glory days and its modern renaissance. In many ways, the squad has always been a defensive side. With the right players in place, Burnley could still regain a place in the top flight of English football.