Formal or informal? It says a lot about Habib Diarra that his joy at being promoted from the youth ranks at Strasbourg to the senior squad was mixed with anxiety over the two French words for “you.”
Was it appropriate to address new, senior teammates by using “tu” be regarded as too familiar? Ultimately, the promising talent played safe and chose the more formal “vous”. This prompted wholesale laughter from the veterans who told him not to be so silly; he was one of them now.
“After I had the first call with the coach, I reflected and said to my parents: ‘Sunderland’s where I want to be; that’s where I want to play.’ The Premier League was always a goal of mine and the coach presented me with a well-defined and appealing project.”
Almost five years later, Diarra is sitting in an office at Sunderland’s Academy of Light explaining why he ignored overtures from, among others, Milan, Atlético Madrid, Eintracht Frankfurt, Aston Villa and Leeds. His innate courtesy remains but it is clear that the 22-year-old Senegal international and uncertainty are virtual strangers. Diarra conducts himself with the self-assurance befitting a player who led Strasbourg at the age of 20 and, only last month, returned from Morocco clutching an Africa Cup of Nations winners’ medal.
A Clear Project
With the groin injury that sidelined him for much of the first half of the league campaign healed, Diarra is on a mission to demonstrate precisely why he agreed to become Sunderland’s record £30m signing last summer. Pundits in France and Senegal queried Diarra’s unfashionable choice but he knew all about the manager's standing as a gifted youth coach.
“I haven’t been surprised by the coach’s capabilities because I already knew what he’s capable of,” says Diarra. “Facing his teams I understood he was very good, very strong in terms of strategy. He’s someone I know is helping my game progress. And although our primary aim is reaching 40 points, a place in Europe is certainly a realistic target this season.”
A Family Atmosphere
Externally, the chilly February wind and driving rain makes the region look as bleak as it is often depicted. Inside, things are much more welcoming. The environment is free of the type of strain found in certain clubs where administrative staff are kept apart from first-team players. Diarra describes the environment as “really natural” and praises Le Bris’s role in its creation.
“The coach always says to us that we have a familial bond here and we all support each other,” he says. “Each of us takes pride of each other.”
Freedom Within a Framework
If the structure, rigor and immense effort supporting Sunderland’s defensive organization are a proof of the head coach’s attention to minutiae, Le Bris also likes his players to use their initiative. He offers his midfielders full freedom to improvise and swap roles.
“The coach sets his tactics out within a framework but we have freedom to play within it,” says Diarra, who prefers to be deployed as a all-action No 8. “During matches that is empowering. That freedom is so important. Granit, our skipper, helps us a lot. He’s a massive influence and a superb role model.”
Journey and Adaptation
Diarra is using a French interpreter but his English has progressed to the point where he can grasp most questions. He is now concentrating on acquiring the vocabulary to also answer them, which would be his third tongue. He is proficient in Wolof, the language he spoke growing up in his hometown near the Senegalese capital.
His precocious maturity helped him deal with the frustration of needing an operation followed by four months on the sidelines last autumn. “Getting hurt so soon after arriving here was disheartening, for sure,” he says. “But it was up to me to manage myself.”
Diarra is now looking forward to playing in this summer’s World Cup. Given Senegal have been drawn in the same group as France, a poignant reunion awaits the former Les Bleus under-21 midfielder. “I enjoyed representing for France but my heart spoke,” says Diarra. “There’s no regrets. I was born in Senegal; it fills me with pride to play for them.”
Comparable feelings apply to Sunderland. “I've settled very well,” he says. “I am really comfortable here.”
