Formal or informal? It says a lot about Habib Diarra that his delight at being elevated from Strasbourg’s Under-17s to the senior squad was accompanied by anxiety over the two distinct words for “you.”
Was it appropriate to address new, established teammates by using “tu” be regarded as disrespectful? In the end, the promising talent played safe and chose the more formal “vous”. Cue widespread amusement from the veterans who told him not to be so silly; he was one of them now.
“Once I received the first call with the coach, I sat down 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 ambition of mine and the coach outlined for me a clear and interesting project.”
Almost five years later, Diarra is sitting in an office at Sunderland’s Academy of Light explaining why he turned down offers from, among others, several top European clubs. His natural politeness endures but it is clear that the young Senegal international and uncertainty are virtual strangers. Diarra conducts himself with the confidence befitting a player who captained Strasbourg at the tender age of twenty and, only last month, returned from Morocco clutching an Africa Cup of Nations championship trophy.
A Clear Project
Now that the groin issue that kept him out for much of the first half of the domestic season 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 questioned Diarra’s unfashionable choice but he knew all about the manager's reputation as a talented youth coach.
“It came as no shock by the coach’s ability because I already knew what he’s able to achieve,” says Diarra. “Playing against his teams I understood he was very good, very strong tactically. 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 achievable goal this season.”
A Unified Environment
Outside, the cold winter gusts and driving rain makes the region look as grim as it is often stereotyped. Internally, things are much more welcoming. The atmosphere is devoid of the type of strain found in certain clubs where office workers are deliberately segregated 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’re like a family 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 underpinning Sunderland’s out-of-possession shape are a proof of the head coach’s attention to minutiae, Le Bris also likes his players to think for themselves. He offers his engine room players full freedom to be creative and swap roles.
“Our manager establishes his tactics out within a structure but we have license to play within it,” says Diarra, who prefers to be deployed as a box-to-box No 8. “During matches that feels good. That autonomy is so important. Granit, our skipper, helps us a lot. He’s a really big player and a superb role model.”
Path and Settlement
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 in his youth in his hometown near Dakar.
His precocious maturity helped him deal with the disappointment 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 handle the situation.”
Diarra is now anticipating playing in this summer’s global tournament. Given Senegal have been drawn in the same group as France, a poignant reunion awaits the former Les Bleus under-21 midfielder. “I loved playing for France but my inner feeling prevailed,” says Diarra. “I have no remorse. I was born in Senegal; it makes me proud to play for them.”
Comparable feelings apply to Sunderland. “I’ve adapted very well,” he says. “I feel really comfortable here.”
