Vous or Tu? It says a lot about Habib Diarra that his joy at being promoted from the youth ranks at Strasbourg to the first team was mixed with anxiety over the two French words for “you.”
Would addressing new, older 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 instructed him not to be so ridiculous; 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.’ England's top flight was always a goal of mine and the coach outlined for me a well-defined and appealing 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 natural politeness remains but it is apparent that the young Senegal international and uncertainty are practically unacquainted. Diarra conducts himself with the self-assurance befitting a player who led Strasbourg at the tender age of twenty and, only last month, returned from Morocco holding an AFCON winners’ medal.
A Clear Project
Now that the groin issue that kept him out for much of the opening months of the domestic season healed, Diarra is on a quest to demonstrate precisely 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 Régis Le Bris’s standing as a gifted youth coach.
“I haven’t been surprised by the coach’s ability because I already knew what he’s able to achieve,” 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, a place in Europe is certainly a achievable goal this season.”
A Family Atmosphere
Externally, the cold winter gusts and driving rain makes Wearside look as grim as it is often stereotyped. Inside, things are considerably warmer. The environment is devoid of the type of tension found in certain clubs where administrative staff are deliberately segregated from first-team players. Diarra describes the environment as “really natural” and praises Le Bris’s role in its formation.
“The coach always says 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.”
Liberty and Structure
If the structure, rigor and immense effort underpinning Sunderland’s out-of-possession shape are a testament to the head coach’s attention to minutiae, Le Bris also likes his players to think for themselves. He offers his midfielders complete licence to be creative and swap roles.
“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 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 really big player and a superb role model.”
Path and Settlement
Diarra is speaking through a French interpreter but his English has advanced to the point where he can grasp most questions. He is now concentrating on acquiring the vocabulary to also answer them, which would be his third language. He is proficient in Wolof, the language he spoke growing up in his hometown near Dakar.
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 handle the situation.”
Diarra is now anticipating playing in this summer’s World Cup. 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 inner feeling prevailed,” says Diarra. “I have no remorse. I was born in Senegal; it fills me with pride to play for them.”
Similar emotions apply to Sunderland. “I've settled very well,” he says. “I feel really comfortable here.”
