Vous or Tu? It says a lot about the young Senegalese star that his delight at being elevated from Strasbourg’s Under-17s to the first team was accompanied by anxiety over the two distinct words for “you.”
Would addressing new, established teammates by using “tu” be considered disrespectful? Ultimately, the promising talent played safe and chose the more polite “vous”. This prompted wholesale laughter from the veterans who instructed him not to be so silly; he was part of the group 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 presented me with a well-defined and appealing project.”
Almost five years later, Diarra is settled in an office at the club's training ground detailing why he turned down offers from, among others, Milan, Atlético Madrid, Eintracht Frankfurt, Aston Villa and Leeds. His natural politeness endures but it is apparent that the young Senegal international and uncertainty are virtual strangers. Diarra carries himself with the confidence suited to a player who captained Strasbourg at the tender age of twenty and, only last month, returned from Morocco holding an AFCON winners’ medal.
A Clear Project
Now that the groin issue that sidelined him 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. Pundits in France and Senegal queried Diarra’s surprising decision but he knew all about the manager's standing as a gifted 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 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 driving rain makes Wearside 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 deliberately segregated 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 fight for each other,” he says. “We’re all proud of each other.”
Liberty and Structure
If the structure, rigor and sheer hard yards underpinning Sunderland’s defensive organization are a proof of the head coach’s attention to minutiae, Le Bris also likes his players to use their initiative. He offers his midfielders full freedom to improvise and swap roles.
“Our manager establishes his tactics out within a structure but we have freedom 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 speaking through a French interpreter but his English has advanced to the point where he can understand most questions. He is now focusing on acquiring the language skills 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 an operation followed by four months out of action last autumn. “Getting hurt 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 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.”
