Vous or Tu? It reveals much about Habib Diarra that his elation at being promoted from Strasbourg’s Under-17s to the senior squad was accompanied by worry over the two distinct words for “you.”
Would addressing new, older teammates by using “tu” be regarded as too familiar? In the end, the promising talent opted for caution and selected the more formal “vous”. This prompted wholesale laughter from the veterans 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.’ 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 settled in an office at Sunderland’s Academy of Light detailing why he turned down offers from, among others, several top European clubs. His innate courtesy endures but it is evident that the young Senegal international and uncertainty are practically unacquainted. Diarra carries himself with the confidence suited to a player who led Strasbourg at the tender age of twenty and, only last month, returned from Morocco clutching an AFCON 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 mission 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 Régis Le Bris’s standing as a talented youth coach.
“I haven’t been surprised by the coach’s ability because I already knew what he’s capable of,” says Diarra. “Playing against his teams I realised he was very good, very strong in terms of strategy. He’s someone I know is aiding my development. And although our primary aim is reaching 40 points, a place in Europe is certainly a achievable goal this season.”
A Unified Environment
Outside, the cold winter gusts and heavy downpour makes Wearside look as grim as it is often depicted. Internally, things are considerably warmer. The environment is devoid of the type of tension found in certain clubs where office workers are deliberately segregated from first-team players. Diarra describes the environment as “very organic” and commends 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 immense effort supporting 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 freedom to play within it,” says Diarra, who favors playing as a box-to-box No 8. “During matches that feels good. That autonomy is so important. Granit, our skipper, helps us a lot. He’s a really big player 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 grasp most questions. He is now focusing on acquiring the vocabulary to also answer them, which would be his third language. He is proficient in Wolof, the language he spoke growing up in Guédiawaye near Dakar.
His early maturity helped him combat the frustration of needing groin surgery followed by four months on the sidelines last autumn. “Being injured so soon after arriving here was disheartening, for sure,” he says. “But it was up to me to manage myself.”
Diarra is now looking forward to 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 loved playing for France but my inner feeling prevailed,” says Diarra. “There’s no regrets. I was born in Senegal; it fills me with pride to play for them.”
Comparable feelings apply to Sunderland. “I’ve adapted very well,” he says. “I feel really comfortable here.”
