Vous or Tu? It reveals much about Habib Diarra that his elation 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, senior teammates by using “tu” be considered disrespectful? In the end, the promising talent played safe and chose the more polite “vous”. This prompted widespread amusement from the older players who instructed him not to be so ridiculous; 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 goal of mine and the coach outlined for me a clear and interesting project.”
Almost five years later, Diarra is sitting in an office at the club's training ground detailing why he turned down offers from, among others, several top European clubs. His natural politeness remains but it is evident that the young Senegal international and uncertainty 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 kept him out for much of the first half of the league campaign resolved, Diarra is on a mission to demonstrate precisely why he agreed to become Sunderland’s record £30m signing last summer. Analysts in France and Senegal queried Diarra’s surprising decision but he knew all about the manager's reputation 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 tactically. He’s someone I know is aiding my development. 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 driving rain makes the region look as bleak as it is often stereotyped. Internally, things are much more welcoming. The atmosphere is devoid of the type of strain found in certain clubs where office workers are deliberately segregated from first-team players. Diarra portrays the environment as “very organic” and praises Le Bris’s role in its formation.
“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 supporting Sunderland’s defensive organization are a testament to 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 improvise and interchange positions.
“The coach sets 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. “Out on the pitch that feels good. That autonomy is so important. Granit, our skipper, 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 advanced to the point where he can understand most questions. He is now concentrating on acquiring the language skills to also answer them, which would be his third language. He is proficient 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 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 handle the situation.”
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 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.”
Similar emotions apply to Sunderland. “I’ve adapted very well,” he says. “I feel really comfortable here.”
