Vous or Tu? It reveals much about Habib Diarra that his delight at being promoted from the youth ranks at Strasbourg to the senior squad was accompanied by anxiety over the two French words for “you.”
Was it appropriate to address new, older teammates by using “tu” be considered too familiar? Ultimately, the young midfielder played safe and selected the more formal “vous”. This prompted wholesale laughter from the older players who instructed him not to be so silly; 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.’ England's top flight was always a dream of mine and the coach outlined for me a clear and interesting project.”
Almost five years later, Diarra is sitting in an office at Sunderland’s Academy of Light explaining why he turned down offers from, among others, several top European clubs. His innate courtesy endures but it is clear that the 22-year-old Senegal international and doubt are virtual strangers. Diarra conducts himself with the confidence suited to a player who captained Strasbourg at the tender age of twenty and, only last month, returned from Morocco clutching an Africa Cup of Nations championship trophy.
A Defined Vision
Now that the groin issue that kept him out for much of the first half of the league campaign healed, Diarra is on a quest to show exactly why he agreed to become Sunderland’s most expensive acquisition last summer. Pundits in France and Senegal queried Diarra’s unfashionable choice but he knew all about the manager's standing as a gifted youth coach.
“I haven’t been surprised by the coach’s capabilities because I already knew what he’s capable of,” says Diarra. “Playing against 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 achievable goal this season.”
A Unified Environment
Externally, the chilly February wind and heavy downpour makes the region look as bleak as it is often depicted. Inside, things are considerably warmer. The atmosphere is devoid of the type of tension found in certain clubs where office workers are kept apart from first-team players. Diarra portrays the environment as “really natural” and commends Le Bris’s role in its formation.
“The coach always says to us that we have a familial bond here and we all fight for each other,” he says. “Each of us takes pride of each other.”
Liberty and Structure
If the structure, rigor and immense effort underpinning 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 engine room players complete licence to improvise 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. “Out on the pitch that is empowering. That freedom 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 advanced 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 Guédiawaye near the Senegalese capital.
His precocious maturity helped him combat the disappointment of needing groin surgery followed by four months on the sidelines 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 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 settled very well,” he says. “I feel really comfortable here.”
