Vous or Tu? It speaks volumes about Habib Diarra that his elation at being promoted from the youth ranks at Strasbourg to the first team was tempered by anxiety over the two distinct words for “you.”
Would addressing new, older teammates by using “tu” be considered too familiar? In the end, the promising talent opted for caution and selected the more formal “vous”. Cue widespread amusement from the veterans who instructed him not to be so ridiculous; he was one of them now.
“Once I received 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 dream of mine and the coach outlined for me a well-defined and appealing project.”
Roughly half a decade later, Diarra is sitting in an office at the club's training ground detailing why he turned down offers from, among others, Milan, Atlético Madrid, Eintracht Frankfurt, Aston Villa and Leeds. His natural politeness endures but it is apparent that the young Senegal international and doubt are virtual strangers. Diarra carries himself with the confidence befitting a player who captained 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 kept him out for much of the first half of the league campaign resolved, 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 queried Diarra’s unfashionable choice but he knew all about Régis Le Bris’s standing as a talented youth coach.
“It came as no shock 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 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 Unified Environment
Externally, the cold winter gusts and driving rain makes Wearside look as bleak as it is often depicted. Internally, things are much more welcoming. The environment is devoid of the type of strain found in certain clubs where administrative staff are deliberately segregated from first-team players. Diarra describes the environment as “very organic” and praises Le Bris’s role in its creation.
“Our manager repeatedly states to us that we have a familial bond here and we all support each other,” he says. “Each of us takes pride of each other.”
Freedom Within a Framework
If the organisation, discipline and immense effort supporting Sunderland’s defensive organization are a proof of the head coach’s meticulous eye for detail, Le Bris also likes his players to use their initiative. He offers his midfielders complete licence to be creative and interchange positions.
“Our manager establishes 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 is empowering. That autonomy is so important. Granit, our skipper, guides us a lot. He’s a massive influence and a superb role model.”
Path and Settlement
Diarra is using 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 tongue. He is fluent in Wolof, the language he spoke growing up in Guédiawaye near the Senegalese capital.
His precocious maturity helped him deal with the disappointment 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 looking forward to 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 loved playing for France but my heart spoke,” says Diarra. “There’s no regrets. I was born in Senegal; it fills me with pride to play for them.”
Similar emotions apply to Sunderland. “I've settled very well,” he says. “I am really comfortable here.”
