Formal or informal? It says a lot about Habib Diarra that his elation 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, older teammates by using “tu” be regarded as disrespectful? In the end, the young midfielder played safe and chose the more formal “vous”. This prompted widespread amusement from the veterans who instructed him not to be so silly; he was one of them now.
“Once I received 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.”
Roughly half a decade later, Diarra is settled in an office at the club's training ground explaining why he ignored overtures from, among others, Milan, Atlético Madrid, Eintracht Frankfurt, Aston Villa and Leeds. His natural politeness endures but it is evident that the young Senegal international and uncertainty are virtual strangers. Diarra carries himself with the self-assurance 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 winners’ medal.
A Defined Vision
With the groin injury that sidelined him 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. Pundits in France and Senegal questioned Diarra’s surprising decision but he knew all about Régis Le Bris’s reputation as a talented youth coach.
“I haven’t been surprised by the coach’s ability because I already knew what he’s able to achieve,” says Diarra. “Facing his teams I realised he was very good, very strong in terms of strategy. He’s someone I know is aiding my development. And although our primary aim is reaching 40 points, European qualification is certainly a realistic target 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 “very organic” and praises Le Bris’s role in its formation.
“The coach always says to us that we have a familial bond here and we all fight for 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 testament to the head coach’s meticulous eye for detail, Le Bris also likes his players to think for themselves. He offers his engine room players full freedom to be creative and swap roles.
“The coach sets his tactics out within a structure but we have freedom to play within it,” says Diarra, who prefers to be deployed as a box-to-box No 8. “Out on the pitch that is empowering. That freedom is so important. Granit, our skipper, guides us a lot. He’s a massive influence 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 understand most questions. He is now focusing on acquiring the language skills to also answer them, which would be his third language. He is proficient in Wolof, the language he spoke growing up in Guédiawaye near the Senegalese capital.
His precocious maturity helped him combat 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 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 heart spoke,” 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 settled very well,” he says. “I feel really comfortable here.”
