Formal or informal? It says a lot about Habib Diarra that his elation at being elevated from Strasbourg’s Under-17s to the first team was mixed with anxiety over the two French words for “you.”
Was it appropriate to address new, senior teammates by using “tu” be seen as too familiar? Ultimately, the promising talent opted for caution and chose the more polite “vous”. This prompted wholesale laughter from the older players who told 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 goal 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 the club's training ground explaining why he turned down offers from, among others, several top European clubs. His innate courtesy remains but it is clear that the young Senegal international and uncertainty are virtual strangers. Diarra carries himself with the confidence suited to a player who captained Strasbourg at the tender age of twenty and, only last month, returned from Morocco holding an AFCON championship trophy.
A Clear Project
Now that the groin issue that kept him out for much of the opening months of the domestic season healed, Diarra is on a mission to show exactly 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 Régis Le Bris’s standing as a gifted youth coach.
“It came as no shock by the coach’s capabilities because I already knew what he’s capable of,” says Diarra. “Facing 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 primary aim is reaching 40 points, European qualification is certainly a realistic target this season.”
A Family Atmosphere
Externally, the chilly February wind and heavy downpour makes Wearside look as grim as it is often depicted. 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 “very organic” and praises Le Bris’s role in its creation.
“The coach always says 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.”
Freedom Within a Framework
If the structure, rigor and sheer hard yards underpinning Sunderland’s out-of-possession shape are a proof of the head coach’s meticulous eye for detail, Le Bris also likes his players to think for themselves. He offers his midfielders complete licence to be creative and swap roles.
“Our manager establishes his tactics out within a framework but we have license to play within it,” says Diarra, who prefers to be deployed as a box-to-box No 8. “Out on the pitch that is empowering. That freedom is so important. Our captain, Granit, 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 progressed 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 in his youth in Guédiawaye near Dakar.
His early maturity helped him deal with the frustration 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 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 inner feeling prevailed,” 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 feel really comfortable here.”