Formal or informal? It says a lot about Habib Diarra that his delight at being elevated from Strasbourg’s Under-17s to the first team was mixed with anxiety over the two French words for “you.”
Would addressing new, senior teammates by using “tu” be regarded as disrespectful? In the end, the young midfielder played safe and selected the more formal “vous”. Cue wholesale laughter from the older players who instructed him not to be so silly; he was part of the group 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.’ England's top flight was always a goal of mine and the coach presented me with a well-defined and appealing project.”
Roughly half a decade later, Diarra is settled in an office at Sunderland’s Academy of Light detailing why he ignored overtures from, among others, several top European clubs. His innate courtesy endures but it is apparent that the 22-year-old 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 Defined Vision
With the groin injury that kept him out for much of the first half of the domestic season resolved, Diarra is on a mission to demonstrate precisely why he agreed to become Sunderland’s most expensive acquisition last summer. Analysts in France and Senegal queried Diarra’s surprising decision but he knew all about Régis Le Bris’s standing as a gifted youth coach.
“It came as no shock by the coach’s ability because I already knew what he’s capable of,” says Diarra. “Facing his teams I realised 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, European qualification is certainly a realistic target this season.”
A Family Atmosphere
Outside, the cold winter gusts and driving rain makes Wearside look as bleak as it is often depicted. Internally, things are much more welcoming. The atmosphere is devoid of the type of tension found in certain clubs where office workers are kept apart from Premier League squads. Diarra describes the environment as “very organic” and praises Le Bris’s role in its formation.
“Our manager repeatedly states to us that we’re like a family here and we all fight for each other,” he says. “We’re all proud of each other.”
Freedom Within a Framework
If the structure, rigor and immense effort underpinning Sunderland’s defensive organization are a testament to the head coach’s attention to minutiae, Le Bris also likes his players to use their initiative. He offers his engine room players complete licence to improvise and swap roles.
“Our manager establishes his tactics out within a framework but we have freedom to play within it,” says Diarra, who favors playing as a all-action No 8. “Out on the pitch that feels good. That freedom is so important. Our captain, Granit, helps us a lot. He’s a really big player and a fantastic example.”
Path and Settlement
Diarra is speaking through a French interpreter but his English has advanced to the point where he can understand most questions. He is now concentrating on acquiring the vocabulary to also answer them, which would be his third language. He is fluent in Wolof, the language he spoke growing up in Guédiawaye near Dakar.
His precocious maturity helped him combat the frustration of needing an operation followed by four months out of action 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 emotional matchup awaits the former Les Bleus under-21 midfielder. “I loved playing for France but my inner feeling prevailed,” says Diarra. “There’s no regrets. 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.”
