Vous or Tu? It reveals much about Habib Diarra that his elation at being elevated from the youth ranks at Strasbourg to the senior squad was accompanied by anxiety over the two distinct words for “you.”
Would addressing new, established teammates by using “tu” be considered disrespectful? In the end, the young midfielder played safe and selected the more formal “vous”. Cue wholesale laughter 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 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, several top European clubs. His innate courtesy remains but it is apparent that the young Senegal international and doubt are virtual strangers. Diarra carries 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 Africa Cup of Nations championship trophy.
A Clear Project
With the groin injury that kept him out for much of the first half of the domestic season resolved, Diarra is on a quest to show exactly why he agreed to become Sunderland’s record £30m signing last summer. Analysts in France and Senegal questioned Diarra’s unfashionable choice but he knew all about the manager's reputation as a gifted 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 helping my game progress. And although our primary aim is reaching 40 points, a place in Europe is certainly a achievable goal this season.”
A Unified Environment
Externally, the cold winter gusts and heavy downpour makes Wearside look as grim as it is often depicted. Inside, things are much more welcoming. The atmosphere is free of the type of tension found in certain clubs where administrative staff are kept apart from Premier League squads. Diarra portrays 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 sheer hard yards underpinning Sunderland’s out-of-possession shape are a testament to the head coach’s attention to minutiae, Le Bris also likes his players to think for themselves. He offers his engine room players full freedom 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 favors playing as a all-action No 8. “Out on the pitch 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.”
Journey and Adaptation
Diarra is using a French interpreter but his English has progressed 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 in his youth in his hometown near Dakar.
His early 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 frustrating, 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 loved playing 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.”
