Vous or Tu? It says a lot about Habib Diarra that his delight at being elevated from the youth ranks at Strasbourg to the first team was mixed with worry over the two French words for “you.”
Would addressing new, senior teammates by using “tu” be considered too familiar? In the end, the promising talent played safe and chose the more polite “vous”. This prompted wholesale laughter 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 ambition of mine and the coach outlined for me a well-defined and appealing project.”
Almost five years later, Diarra is sitting in an office at Sunderland’s Academy of Light explaining why he ignored overtures from, among others, several top European clubs. His innate courtesy endures but it is apparent that the young Senegal international and doubt are practically unacquainted. Diarra carries himself with the confidence befitting a player who captained Strasbourg at the age of 20 and, only last month, returned from Morocco holding an Africa Cup of Nations winners’ medal.
A Clear Project
With the groin injury that sidelined him for much of the first half of the domestic season resolved, Diarra is on a quest to show exactly why he agreed to become Sunderland’s record £30m signing last summer. Analysts in France and Senegal queried Diarra’s unfashionable choice but he knew all about the manager's standing as a talented youth coach.
“It came as no shock by the coach’s ability because I already knew what he’s capable of,” says Diarra. “Playing against his teams I understood 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, a place in Europe is certainly a achievable goal this season.”
A Family Atmosphere
Externally, the chilly February wind and heavy downpour makes the region look as bleak as it is often stereotyped. Inside, things are much more welcoming. The environment is free of the type of tension notable at certain clubs where administrative staff are kept apart from Premier League squads. Diarra describes the environment as “really natural” and commends Le Bris’s role in its formation.
“The coach always says to us that we have a familial bond here and we all support each other,” he says. “Each of us takes pride of each other.”
Freedom Within a Framework
If the organisation, discipline and sheer hard yards underpinning Sunderland’s defensive organization are a proof of the head coach’s attention to minutiae, Le Bris also likes his players to use their initiative. He offers his engine room players full freedom to improvise and swap roles.
“The coach sets his tactics out within a framework but we have freedom to play within it,” says Diarra, who prefers to be deployed as a all-action No 8. “Out on the pitch that feels good. That autonomy is so important. Granit, our skipper, 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 language. He is proficient in Wolof, the language he spoke growing up in Guédiawaye near Dakar.
His precocious 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 frustrating, for sure,” he says. “But it was up to me to manage myself.”
Diarra is now anticipating playing in this summer’s World Cup. Given Senegal have been drawn in the same group as France, a emotional matchup 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 makes me proud to play for them.”
Similar emotions apply to Sunderland. “I’ve adapted very well,” he says. “I feel really comfortable here.”
