Formal or informal? It says a lot about Habib Diarra that his elation at being elevated from Strasbourg’s Under-17s to the senior squad was mixed with anxiety over the two French words for “you.”
Would addressing new, older teammates by using “tu” be considered disrespectful? In the end, the young midfielder played safe and chose the more formal “vous”. Cue wholesale laughter from the veterans who told him not to be so silly; he was one of them now.
“After I had 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 dream of mine and the coach outlined for me a clear and interesting project.”
Almost five years later, Diarra is settled in an office at the club's training ground explaining why he turned down offers from, among others, several top European clubs. His natural politeness remains but it is clear that the 22-year-old Senegal international and uncertainty are practically unacquainted. Diarra carries himself with the self-assurance suited to a player who led Strasbourg at the age of 20 and, only last month, returned from Morocco holding an Africa Cup of Nations championship trophy.
A Defined Vision
With the groin injury that kept him out for much of the first half of the league campaign healed, Diarra is on a quest to demonstrate precisely why he agreed to become Sunderland’s most expensive acquisition last summer. Analysts 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 understood he was very good, very strong in terms of strategy. He’s someone I know is helping my game progress. And although our first objective is reaching 40 points, a place in Europe is certainly a achievable goal this season.”
A Family Atmosphere
Externally, the chilly February wind and heavy downpour makes the region look as grim as it is often depicted. Inside, things are considerably warmer. The atmosphere is free of the type of tension found in certain clubs where office workers are kept apart from first-team players. Diarra portrays the environment as “really natural” and praises 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. “We’re all proud of each other.”
Liberty and Structure
If the organisation, discipline and sheer hard yards supporting 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 improvise and swap roles.
“The coach sets his tactics out within a framework but we have freedom 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.”
Journey and Adaptation
Diarra is speaking through a French interpreter but his English has advanced 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 the Senegalese capital.
His precocious maturity helped him combat the frustration of needing groin surgery followed by four months out of action last autumn. “Being injured so soon after arriving here was disheartening, for sure,” he says. “But it was up to me to handle the situation.”
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 heart spoke,” says Diarra. “There’s no regrets. I was born in Senegal; it makes me proud to play for them.”
Comparable feelings apply to Sunderland. “I’ve adapted very well,” he says. “I am really comfortable here.”
