Formal or informal? It says a lot about Habib Diarra that his delight at being elevated from the youth ranks at Strasbourg to the first team was accompanied by anxiety over the two distinct words for “you.”
Was it appropriate to address new, senior teammates by using “tu” be regarded as too familiar? Ultimately, the promising talent opted for caution and selected the more polite “vous”. Cue wholesale laughter from the veterans who told him not to be so silly; he was part of the group 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 well-defined and appealing project.”
Almost five years later, Diarra is sitting in an office at the club's training ground detailing why he ignored overtures from, among others, several top European clubs. His innate courtesy remains but it is evident that the 22-year-old Senegal international and doubt are virtual strangers. Diarra carries himself with the self-assurance suited to a player who captained Strasbourg at the tender age of twenty and, only last month, returned from Morocco holding an Africa Cup of Nations winners’ medal.
A Defined Vision
Now that the groin issue that kept him out for much of the opening months of the league campaign 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 surprising decision but he knew all about Régis Le Bris’s reputation as a gifted youth coach.
“It came as no shock by the coach’s capabilities because I already knew what he’s capable of,” says Diarra. “Playing against his teams I realised 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, European qualification is certainly a achievable goal this season.”
A Family Atmosphere
Outside, the chilly February wind and heavy downpour makes Wearside look as bleak as it is often stereotyped. Internally, things are considerably warmer. The atmosphere is free of the type of tension found in certain clubs where office workers are deliberately segregated 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 support each other,” he says. “We’re all proud of each other.”
Freedom Within a Framework
If the structure, rigor and sheer hard yards supporting Sunderland’s defensive organization are a proof of the head coach’s meticulous eye for detail, Le Bris also likes his players to use their initiative. He offers his engine room players full freedom to improvise and interchange positions.
“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. “Out on the pitch that feels good. That freedom is so important. Our captain, Granit, guides us a lot. He’s a massive influence 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 focusing on acquiring the language skills to also answer them, which would be his third tongue. He is fluent in Wolof, the language he spoke in his youth in his hometown near the Senegalese capital.
His precocious maturity helped him deal with the disappointment of needing groin surgery followed by four months on the sidelines last autumn. “Getting hurt so soon after arriving here was frustrating, for sure,” he says. “But it was up to me to manage myself.”
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. “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 adapted very well,” he says. “I feel really comfortable here.”
