Norwich City's Paris-born defender Seb Bassong has revealed his shock over the terrorist attacks on the French capital.

Bassong grew up in the Saint-Denis area, targeted in the recent atrocities, and the 29-year-old's mother still lives in that part of the city were the Stade de France national stadium was the subject of a suicide bomb plot.

The centre-back watched the unfolding horror on television as he spent time away on international duty with Cameroon.

'You try to keep your head as cool as possible,' he said. 'There's a lot of things going on, especially for me in France and in Saint-Denis where I'm from, where my mum lives, where the shootings were. When it happened I was in Cameroon with the national team and woke up. My brother called me and told me to look on the news. I was shocked and watching like everyone else thinking, 'this is serious'. I couldn't say much, I couldn't wait for it all to be over - as long as everyone's families are safe.

'At the time when I was in my room watching it, I couldn't think about anything else, but when it came to playing, when I'm on the pitch that's the only place where I don't think about anything else except playing football. I represent my family, my country, my people. If I was on the pitch and started thinking about it there's no point me doing what I'm doing. So by playing football I'm an ambassador for my family.

'I try to put it behind me and that is what everyone is trying to do for the people in Paris or Cameroon with - what Boko Haram is doing it's the same. 'You have to put it behind you as quickly as possible otherwise they win and it will affect you too much.'

Bassong, who was part of the French youth set-up before opting to represent the country of his ancestors. featured in City's 1-0 defeat at Chelsea.