Formal or informal? It says a lot about Habib Diarra that his joy at being elevated from the youth ranks at Strasbourg to the senior squad was mixed with worry over the two distinct words for “you.”
Was it appropriate to address new, senior teammates by using “tu” be regarded as disrespectful? In the end, the young midfielder opted for caution and selected the more polite “vous”. Cue widespread amusement from the veterans who told him not to be so ridiculous; he was one of them now.
“After I had 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 dream of mine and the coach presented me with a clear and interesting project.”
Roughly half a decade later, Diarra is settled in an office at the club's training ground detailing why he turned down offers from, among others, several top European clubs. His innate courtesy endures but it is evident that the 22-year-old Senegal international and uncertainty are practically unacquainted. 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
With the groin injury that sidelined him for much of the opening months of the domestic season resolved, Diarra is on a quest to show exactly why he agreed to become Sunderland’s most expensive acquisition last summer. Pundits in France and Senegal queried Diarra’s unfashionable choice 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 first objective is reaching 40 points, a place in Europe is certainly a realistic target this season.”
A Unified Environment
Outside, the chilly February wind and heavy downpour makes Wearside look as grim as it is often stereotyped. Internally, things are considerably warmer. The environment is devoid of the type of strain found in certain clubs where administrative staff are kept apart from Premier League squads. Diarra portrays the environment as “very organic” 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.”
Liberty and Structure
If the structure, rigor and immense effort underpinning Sunderland’s out-of-possession shape are a proof of the head coach’s meticulous eye for detail, Le Bris also likes his players to think for themselves. He offers his engine room players complete licence to improvise and interchange positions.
“The coach sets 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. “Out on the pitch that feels good. That autonomy is so important. Our captain, Granit, 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 advanced to the point where he can grasp most questions. He is now concentrating on acquiring the language skills to also answer them, which would be his third language. He is fluent in Wolof, the language he spoke in his youth in Guédiawaye near Dakar.
His early maturity helped him deal with the frustration of needing an operation followed by four months out of action last autumn. “Being injured so soon after arriving here was disheartening, for sure,” he says. “But it was up to me to handle the situation.”
Diarra is now looking forward to 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 enjoyed representing for France but my heart spoke,” 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 am really comfortable here.”
