Vous or Tu? 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 anxiety over the two distinct words for “you.”
Was it appropriate to address new, older teammates by using “tu” be seen as too familiar? Ultimately, the young midfielder opted for caution and chose the more formal “vous”. Cue wholesale laughter from the older players 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 well-defined and appealing project.”
Roughly half a decade later, Diarra is sitting in an office at Sunderland’s Academy of Light explaining why he ignored overtures from, among others, Milan, Atlético Madrid, Eintracht Frankfurt, Aston Villa and Leeds. His innate courtesy endures but it is clear that the 22-year-old Senegal international and doubt are virtual strangers. 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 Defined Vision
Now that the groin issue 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. Pundits in France and Senegal questioned Diarra’s surprising decision but he knew all about the manager's standing as a talented youth coach.
“It came as no shock by the coach’s capabilities because I already knew what he’s capable of,” says Diarra. “Playing against 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, European qualification is certainly a achievable goal this season.”
A Family Atmosphere
Outside, the cold winter gusts and driving rain makes the region look as bleak as it is often depicted. Inside, things are much more welcoming. The atmosphere is devoid of the type of strain found in certain clubs where administrative staff are deliberately segregated from Premier League squads. Diarra describes the environment as “very organic” and commends Le Bris’s role in its formation.
“Our manager repeatedly states 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 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 midfielders full freedom to be creative and swap roles.
“Our manager establishes his tactics out within a framework but we have freedom to play within it,” says Diarra, who prefers to be deployed as a box-to-box No 8. “During matches that is empowering. That autonomy is so important. Granit, our skipper, helps us a lot. He’s a massive influence and a fantastic example.”
Journey and Adaptation
Diarra is speaking through a French interpreter but his English has progressed to the point where he can understand most questions. He is now concentrating on acquiring the vocabulary to also answer them, which would be his third language. He is fluent in Wolof, the language he spoke in his youth in his hometown near Dakar.
His precocious maturity helped him deal with the disappointment of needing an operation 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 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.”
