BEN Mee says a good working relationship does not have to be transferred off the pitch, but with James Tarkowski he has the best of both worlds.

The Clarets duo have struck up a solid defensive partnership at Turf Moor over the last three seasons - helping the club to taste European football for the first time in over half a century, and offering a resilience that has put them in a good place to qualify again this year.

Mee insists their on-field bond is the most significant to their success. But he believes good relations away from football, that extend throughout the squad, are beneficial to the team.

"We hang around a little bit together, we're friends, and we chat together quite a lot," said the Burnley captain of his defensive partner Tarkowski.

“I’ve been playing with him a long time now. We’ve got a good partnership and we bounce off each other on the pitch. We know each other’s game really well.

"He’s a very good defender. He’s been fantastic since he’s come into the team and we enjoying playing alongside each other.”

And Mee feels the qualities of their partnership are mirrored throughout the team.

"I think you can work together on the pitch even if you're not that close off it, but I think as a group as a whole we chat a lot and we are a close knit group," he added.

"There's a British and Irish core to it and we all have the same mentality. Even the boys that have come in from other places feel really at home with the warmth of the group and the welcome they get.

"It's credit to the coaching staff and the environment they create and the culture. Everyone is down to earth and works hard for each other and I think that shows on the pitch because we all want to do well for each other.

"I think if you have good partnerships throughout the team, it certainly helps."

Burnley's formula has been a recipe for success of late, going six games unbeaten thanks to last weekend's goalless draw at Newcastle United.

And Tarkowski is keen to extend that run with Saturday's visit of Spurs (kick-off 5.30pm).

"We’d like to have won the last game, we don’t go there thinking ‘let’s just get a point’. But you see how the game takes shape and it was a good point away from home," said the England defender.

"It’s good to be six games unbeaten, especially with some of the teams we’ve come up against in that run.

"We can be proud of the way we’ve played recently and the performances we’ve put in but there’s still plenty more to go.

"We take it by game-by-game and we can look forward to Tottenham now and hopefully put a performance on which gets us three points. "

He added: "It’ll be a good game. Any time any team comes to Turf Moor we fancy ourselves.

"It's an opportunity for us to show how good we are and pick up three points.

"Turf Moor has been a tough place for teams to come this year."