Vous or Tu? It says a lot about the young Senegalese star that his delight at being elevated from the youth ranks at Strasbourg to the first team was accompanied by anxiety over the two French words for “you.”
Would addressing new, older teammates by using “tu” be regarded as disrespectful? In the end, the promising talent opted for caution and chose the more formal “vous”. This prompted widespread amusement from the veterans who instructed him not to be so ridiculous; he was one of them now.
“Once I received 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 well-defined and appealing 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 remains but it is apparent that the young Senegal international and uncertainty are virtual strangers. Diarra conducts himself with the self-assurance suited to a player who led Strasbourg at the age of 20 and, only last month, returned from Morocco holding an Africa Cup of Nations winners’ medal.
A Defined Vision
With the groin injury that sidelined him for much of the first half of the domestic season resolved, Diarra is on a quest to demonstrate precisely why he agreed to become Sunderland’s record £30m signing last summer. Pundits in France and Senegal queried Diarra’s surprising decision 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 understood he was very good, very strong tactically. 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 cold winter gusts and driving rain makes the region look as bleak as it is often depicted. Internally, things are much more welcoming. The environment is free of the type of strain notable at certain clubs where administrative staff are deliberately segregated from first-team players. Diarra portrays the environment as “really natural” 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 fight for each other,” he says. “We’re all proud of each other.”
Freedom Within a Framework
If the organisation, discipline and sheer hard yards supporting Sunderland’s defensive organization 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 complete licence to improvise and interchange positions.
“The coach sets his tactics out within a framework but we have freedom to play within it,” says Diarra, who prefers to be deployed as a all-action No 8. “During matches that feels good. That autonomy is so important. Granit, our skipper, guides us a lot. He’s a massive influence and a superb role model.”
Path and Settlement
Diarra is speaking through a French interpreter but his English has progressed to the point where he can understand most questions. He is now focusing on acquiring the vocabulary 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 Dakar.
His early maturity helped him combat the frustration of needing an operation followed by four months on the sidelines 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 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 adapted very well,” he says. “I am really comfortable here.”
