Formal or informal? It says a lot about Habib Diarra that his delight at being promoted from the youth ranks at Strasbourg to the first team was mixed with worry over the two French words for “you.”
Would addressing new, older teammates by using “tu” be seen as disrespectful? Ultimately, the promising talent opted for caution and chose the more polite “vous”. Cue wholesale laughter from the veterans who instructed him not to be so silly; he was one of them now.
“After I had 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.’ England's top flight was always a ambition 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 Sunderland’s Academy of Light detailing why he ignored overtures from, among others, Milan, Atlético Madrid, Eintracht Frankfurt, Aston Villa and Leeds. His innate courtesy endures but it is evident that the 22-year-old Senegal international and uncertainty are virtual strangers. Diarra carries himself with the confidence befitting 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 Defined Vision
With the groin injury that kept him out for much of the first half of the domestic season healed, Diarra is on a mission to show exactly why he agreed to become Sunderland’s most expensive acquisition last summer. Pundits in France and Senegal questioned 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. “Facing his teams I realised he was very good, very strong tactically. 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 realistic target this season.”
A Unified Environment
Outside, the cold winter gusts and heavy downpour makes Wearside look as bleak as it is often stereotyped. Internally, things are considerably warmer. The environment is free of the type of strain found in certain clubs where office workers are deliberately segregated 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’re like a family here and we all support each other,” he says. “Each of us takes pride of each other.”
Liberty and Structure
If the organisation, discipline and immense effort underpinning Sunderland’s defensive organization are a testament to the head coach’s meticulous eye for detail, Le Bris also likes his players to use their initiative. He offers his engine room players complete licence to improvise and interchange positions.
“The coach sets his tactics out within a structure but we have freedom to play within it,” says Diarra, who favors playing as a all-action No 8. “Out on the pitch that is empowering. That freedom is so important. Granit, our skipper, helps us a lot. He’s a really big player 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 concentrating 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 his hometown near the Senegalese capital.
His early maturity helped him combat the disappointment of needing an operation followed by four months on the sidelines 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 poignant reunion 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 settled very well,” he says. “I am really comfortable here.”
