Formal or informal? It says a lot about the young Senegalese star that his elation at being elevated from the youth ranks at Strasbourg to the senior squad was tempered by worry over the two distinct words for “you.”
Would addressing new, established teammates by using “tu” be seen as too familiar? Ultimately, the promising talent opted for caution and selected the more formal “vous”. Cue wholesale laughter from the older players who instructed him not to be so silly; he was one of them now.
“Once I received 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 goal of mine and the coach presented me with a well-defined and appealing project.”
Roughly half a decade later, Diarra is sitting in an office at the club's training ground explaining why he ignored overtures from, among others, several top European clubs. His natural politeness endures but it is evident that the young Senegal international and doubt are virtual strangers. Diarra conducts himself with the confidence 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 sidelined him for much of the first half of the league campaign 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 unfashionable choice but he knew all about Régis Le Bris’s reputation as a talented youth coach.
“It came as no shock by the coach’s ability 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 aiding my development. And although our primary aim is reaching 40 points, a place in Europe is certainly a realistic target this season.”
A Unified Environment
Outside, the chilly February wind and driving rain makes the region look as grim as it is often stereotyped. Inside, things are much more welcoming. The atmosphere is devoid of the type of strain found in certain clubs where administrative staff are deliberately segregated from Premier League squads. Diarra describes 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 fight for each other,” he says. “We’re all proud of each other.”
Freedom Within a Framework
If the organisation, discipline and immense effort supporting 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 use their initiative. He offers his midfielders complete licence to be creative and interchange positions.
“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 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 progressed to the point where he can grasp most questions. He is now concentrating on acquiring the vocabulary to also answer them, which would be his third language. He is fluent in Wolof, the language he spoke growing up in his hometown near the Senegalese capital.
His precocious maturity helped him deal with the frustration of needing an operation 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 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 fills me with pride to play for them.”
Comparable feelings apply to Sunderland. “I've settled very well,” he says. “I feel really comfortable here.”
