Vous or Tu? It speaks volumes about Habib Diarra that his joy at being elevated from Strasbourg’s Under-17s to the first team was accompanied by worry over the two French words for “you.”
Was it appropriate to address new, senior teammates by using “tu” be considered disrespectful? In the end, the young midfielder played safe and selected the more polite “vous”. This prompted widespread amusement 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 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 clear and interesting project.”
Roughly half a decade later, Diarra is settled in an office at Sunderland’s Academy of Light explaining why he turned down offers from, among others, several top European clubs. His natural politeness remains but it is clear that the young Senegal international and doubt are practically unacquainted. Diarra carries himself with the self-assurance befitting a player who captained Strasbourg at the age of 20 and, only last month, returned from Morocco clutching an AFCON winners’ medal.
A Defined Vision
With the groin injury that kept him out for much of the opening months of the league campaign healed, Diarra is on a quest to show exactly why he agreed to become Sunderland’s record £30m signing last summer. Pundits in France and Senegal questioned Diarra’s unfashionable choice but he knew all about Régis Le Bris’s standing as a gifted 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 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 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 strain notable at certain clubs where administrative staff are kept apart from Premier League squads. Diarra portrays the environment as “really natural” and praises 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. “We’re all proud of each other.”
Liberty and Structure
If the organisation, discipline and immense effort supporting Sunderland’s defensive organization are a proof of 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 interchange positions.
“Our manager establishes his tactics out within a framework but we have license to play within it,” says Diarra, who favors playing as a box-to-box No 8. “Out on the pitch that is empowering. That freedom 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 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 the Senegalese capital.
His precocious maturity helped him combat the frustration of needing an operation followed by four months out of action last autumn. “Getting hurt 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 global tournament. 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 heart spoke,” says Diarra. “I have no remorse. 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 feel really comfortable here.”
