Vous or Tu? It says a lot about Habib Diarra that his delight at being elevated from the youth ranks at Strasbourg to the senior squad was mixed with worry over the two French words for “you.”
Would addressing new, established teammates by using “tu” be regarded as disrespectful? In the end, the promising talent played safe and chose the more formal “vous”. This prompted widespread amusement from the older players who instructed 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 ambition of mine and the coach outlined for me a well-defined and appealing project.”
Roughly half a decade later, Diarra is sitting in an office at Sunderland’s Academy of Light detailing why he turned down offers from, among others, Milan, Atlético Madrid, Eintracht Frankfurt, Aston Villa and Leeds. His natural politeness remains but it is clear that the young Senegal international and uncertainty are virtual strangers. Diarra carries himself with the confidence suited to a player who led Strasbourg at the tender age of twenty and, only last month, returned from Morocco holding an Africa Cup of Nations winners’ medal.
A Clear Project
With the groin injury that kept him out for much of the first half of the league campaign healed, Diarra is on a mission to demonstrate precisely why he agreed to become Sunderland’s record £30m signing last summer. Analysts in France and Senegal questioned Diarra’s unfashionable choice but he knew all about Régis Le Bris’s reputation as a talented youth coach.
“It came as no shock by the coach’s capabilities 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, a place in Europe is certainly a achievable goal this season.”
A Unified Environment
Outside, the cold winter gusts and heavy downpour makes Wearside look as bleak as it is often stereotyped. Inside, things are much more welcoming. The atmosphere is free of the type of tension notable at certain clubs where administrative staff are kept apart 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’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 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 framework but we have freedom to play within it,” says Diarra, who prefers to be deployed as a all-action No 8. “During matches that is empowering. 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 progressed to the point where he can understand most questions. He is now focusing on acquiring the vocabulary to also answer them, which would be his third tongue. He is fluent in Wolof, the language he spoke growing up in his hometown near Dakar.
His early maturity helped him combat the frustration of needing groin surgery followed by four months out of action 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 looking forward to 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 loved playing for France but my inner feeling prevailed,” 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 am really comfortable here.”
