Sébastien Bassong

Metz

Born in Paris, France, Metz signed Bassong out of the Clairefontaine academy. After progressing through the ranks of the FC Metz's youth team, he was promoted to the reserve side for the 2004–05 season. In the 2005–06 season, Bassong was promoted to the first team and made his professional debut for FC Metz, starting the whole game, in a 0–0 draw against Strasbourg on 23 August 2005, keeping a clean sheet in a process. Following his debut, Bassong soon received a handful of first team appearances for the side throughout the 2005–06 season. In his first professional season at FC Metz, Bassong went on to make twenty–four appearances in all competitions. At the end of the 2005–06 season, he was offered his first professional contract, which he signed a three–year contract. The 2006–07 season saw Bassong becoming a first team regular for FC Metz, establishing himself in the defensive position. He said that he progressed in the first team, as the season progressed. Since the start of the 2006–07 season, Bassong started in every match until he missed one match, due to international commitment. After his return to the starting lineup, he helped the side keep five clean sheets between 30 March 2007 and 27 April 2007. During the encounter, Bassong helped the side beat Amiens 2–0 on 20 April 2007 to secure their place in Ligue 1 next season after being relegated in the previous season. On 18 May 2007, Bassong scored his first professional goal for the side, in a 2–1 loss…

France U21

Bassong played as a defensive midfielder for the France under-21 national team, playing in two matches against the Netherlands and Japan in the summer of 2007 before joining Newcastle.

Cameroon

Bassong stated in an interview that if he was called up to the Cameroon squad, he would accept the offer. He is eligible for Cameroon due to not having played in a competitive under-21 match for France. On 25 May 2009, he was called up by the Cameroon national team for their 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Morocco and made his debut for the national side on 12 August in a 2–0 away win to Austria. Bassong was selected for the 2010 World Cup squad in South Africa alongside his former Tottenham teammate Benoît Assou-Ekotto. He regularly wears the number 5 jersey internationally for Cameroon. He played two times in the World Cup tournament, as Cameroon were eliminated in the Group Stage. After the end of the tournament, Bassong made three more appearances by the end of 2010. After almost a two years absence, Bassong was called up to the national side, appearing as an unused substitute against Togo on 23 March 2013. It wasn't until on 6 September 2015 when he made his first appearances for Cameroon in four years, coming on as a late substitute, in a 1–0 win against Gambia. A month later, Bassong also made his first starts in four years, as the national side lost 3–0 against Nigeria on 11 October 2015.

Bassong's parents were from Cameroon, making him eligible to play for Cameroon. Bassong revealed he started playing football, quoting: "Naturally, like all the kids in the Parisian suburbs. When you live there, you play football as you go to school. This is the sport that can be practiced by going out on the street. So I started this way, it came without even asking me the question. Then, as I went, I enjoyed more and more." Bassong has four brothers and one sister. However, his parents did not applaud his son's exploits in football, as they wanted him to study. As a result, he balanced his football and studies and eventually earned his baccalaureate Es and studied marketing techniques. As Bassong grew older, he remained interested in football and his father was eventually give in and allowed him to play the sport. Growing up, he supported Paris Saint-Germain. In the interview with The Guardian, Bassong mentioned that he has two children. When Bassong moved to Newcastle United, he began learning English quickly. By February 2009, Bassong has an excellent early grasp of the English language and lifestyle. Bassong also mentioned that he's a Christian and said that he reads the Bible every day. In November 2012, Bassong was fined £1,000 for carrying a baton, which was described as "police-style", in his car. In May 2013, he made national headline when The Sun published pictures of Bassong holding a gun, which was posted on the internet. Afterwards, he apologised for his action…

Metz

Ligue 2: 2006–07 Watford

Football League Championship runner up (promotion): 2014–15 Norwich City

Football League Championship play-offs: 2015 Individual

Newcastle United Player of the Year: 2009 Norwich City Player of the Season: 2013