Vous or Tu? It speaks volumes about Habib Diarra that his elation at being promoted from the youth ranks at Strasbourg to the first team was tempered by worry over the two distinct words for “you.”
Was it appropriate to address new, senior teammates by using “tu” be seen as disrespectful? In the end, the promising talent played safe and chose the more formal “vous”. Cue widespread amusement from the veterans who instructed him not to be so ridiculous; he was one of them now.
“Once I received 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 goal of mine and the coach presented me with a clear and interesting project.”
Almost five years later, Diarra is sitting in an office at Sunderland’s Academy of Light detailing why he ignored overtures from, among others, several top European clubs. His natural politeness remains but it is apparent that the 22-year-old Senegal international and uncertainty are practically unacquainted. Diarra conducts himself with the self-assurance befitting a player who captained Strasbourg at the tender age of twenty and, only last month, returned from Morocco holding an Africa Cup of Nations championship trophy.
A Defined Vision
With the groin injury that sidelined him for much of the first half of the league campaign healed, Diarra is on a mission to show exactly why he agreed to become Sunderland’s record £30m signing last summer. Analysts in France and Senegal questioned Diarra’s surprising decision but he knew all about the manager's reputation 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. “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 first objective is reaching 40 points, European qualification is certainly a achievable goal this season.”
A Family Atmosphere
Outside, the cold winter gusts and heavy downpour makes the region look as grim as it is often depicted. Internally, things are much more welcoming. The environment is free of the type of tension notable at certain clubs where office workers are kept apart from Premier League squads. Diarra portrays the environment as “very organic” and commends Le Bris’s role in its creation.
“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.”
Liberty and Structure
If the structure, rigor and sheer hard yards underpinning Sunderland’s out-of-possession shape are a proof of the head coach’s meticulous eye for detail, Le Bris also likes his players to think for themselves. He offers his midfielders full freedom to be creative and swap roles.
“The coach sets his tactics out within a framework 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 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 tongue. He is proficient in Wolof, the language he spoke growing up in his hometown 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 looking forward to playing in this summer’s global tournament. 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 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 settled very well,” he says. “I am really comfortable here.”
