Vous or Tu? It speaks volumes about Habib Diarra that his joy at being promoted from Strasbourg’s Under-17s to the first team was tempered by anxiety over the two distinct words for “you.”
Was it appropriate to address new, older teammates by using “tu” be considered too familiar? In the end, the promising talent opted for caution and chose the more polite “vous”. This prompted widespread amusement from the older players who told 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.’ The Premier League 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 explaining why he ignored overtures from, among others, Milan, Atlético Madrid, Eintracht Frankfurt, Aston Villa and Leeds. His innate courtesy endures but it is evident that the young Senegal international and doubt are virtual strangers. Diarra conducts himself with the confidence suited to a player who captained Strasbourg at the age of 20 and, only last month, returned from Morocco clutching an Africa Cup of Nations championship trophy.
A Clear Project
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 most expensive acquisition last summer. Pundits in France and Senegal questioned Diarra’s unfashionable choice but he knew all about Régis Le Bris’s reputation as a gifted youth coach.
“It came as no shock by the coach’s capabilities because I already knew what he’s able to achieve,” says Diarra. “Playing against his teams I understood he was very good, very strong in terms of strategy. 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
Outside, the cold winter gusts and heavy downpour makes the region look as bleak as it is often stereotyped. Inside, things are much more welcoming. The atmosphere is free of the type of strain notable at certain clubs where administrative staff are kept apart from Premier League squads. Diarra portrays the environment as “really natural” and commends Le Bris’s role in its creation.
“The coach always says 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 structure, rigor and immense effort 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 midfielders complete licence to be creative and swap roles.
“The coach sets his tactics out within a structure 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 is empowering. That freedom is so important. Granit, our skipper, guides us a lot. He’s a massive influence and a fantastic example.”
Path and Settlement
Diarra is using a French interpreter but his English has progressed to the point where he can understand most questions. He is now concentrating 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 his hometown near the Senegalese capital.
His early maturity helped him deal with the frustration of needing groin surgery followed by four months out of action last autumn. “Getting hurt 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 emotional matchup awaits the former Les Bleus under-21 midfielder. “I enjoyed representing for France but my inner feeling prevailed,” says Diarra. “I have no remorse. 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.”
