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 anxiety over the two French words for “you.”
Would addressing new, established teammates by using “tu” be seen as disrespectful? Ultimately, the promising talent played safe and chose the more formal “vous”. This prompted wholesale laughter from the older players 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 outlined for me 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 remains but it is clear that the young Senegal international and uncertainty are virtual strangers. Diarra conducts himself with the self-assurance suited to a player who led Strasbourg at the age of 20 and, only last month, returned from Morocco clutching an AFCON winners’ medal.
A Clear Project
With the groin injury that sidelined him for much of the opening months of the league campaign resolved, Diarra is on a quest to demonstrate precisely why he agreed to become Sunderland’s most expensive acquisition last summer. Pundits in France and Senegal queried Diarra’s unfashionable choice but he knew all about Régis Le Bris’s standing as a talented youth coach.
“I haven’t been surprised by the coach’s capabilities because I already knew what he’s able to achieve,” says Diarra. “Playing against his teams I realised he was very good, very strong tactically. 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 bleak as it is often stereotyped. Inside, things are much more welcoming. The atmosphere is devoid of the type of tension found in certain clubs where administrative staff are deliberately segregated 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 fight for each other,” he says. “We’re all proud of each other.”
Liberty and Structure
If the structure, rigor and immense effort underpinning Sunderland’s out-of-possession shape are a proof of the head coach’s attention to minutiae, Le Bris also likes his players to think for themselves. He offers his engine room players complete licence to be creative and interchange positions.
“The coach sets his tactics out within a structure but we have license to play within it,” says Diarra, who prefers to be deployed as a all-action No 8. “During matches that feels good. That autonomy is so important. Granit, our skipper, helps us a lot. He’s a really big player and a fantastic example.”
Journey and Adaptation
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 language skills 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 early maturity helped him deal with the frustration of needing groin surgery followed by four months on the sidelines last autumn. “Being injured so soon after arriving here was disheartening, 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 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 fills me with pride to play for them.”
Comparable feelings apply to Sunderland. “I've settled very well,” he says. “I am really comfortable here.”
