Norwich City boss Alex Neil has claimed that it was "very important" to tie Sebastien Bassong down to a new deal.

The defender signed a contract extension until 2017 with the Canaries on Tuesday.

Bassong has enjoyed a resurgence at Carrow Road since Neil took charge in January, and the Scot believes that the fresh terms are a reward for the Cameroon international's performances.

"If you look through the spine of the team, it's not something I change that often and Seb has been a big part of that," he told the club's official website.

"He's performed extremely well since I've been here, and he's been a really good influence around the place as well which is great.

"It was very important to get this deal done, as well as some of the other ones which we've managed to do recently. They are guys who have contributed a lot to the group in the short time that I've been here."

Bassong has scored three goals in 88 games for Norwich since arriving at the club from Tottenham Hotspur in 2012.