Vous or Tu? It says a lot about the young Senegalese star that his joy at being promoted from the youth ranks at Strasbourg to the first team was mixed with anxiety over the two French words for “you.”
Would addressing new, older teammates by using “tu” be regarded as disrespectful? Ultimately, the promising talent opted for caution and selected the more formal “vous”. Cue widespread amusement from the older players who told 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 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 explaining why he ignored overtures from, among others, Milan, Atlético Madrid, Eintracht Frankfurt, Aston Villa and Leeds. His innate courtesy remains but it is apparent that the young Senegal international and uncertainty are practically unacquainted. Diarra carries himself with the confidence befitting a player who captained Strasbourg at the tender age of twenty and, only last month, returned from Morocco holding an Africa Cup of Nations championship trophy.
A Clear Project
With the groin injury that kept him out for much of the opening months of the league campaign resolved, Diarra is on a mission to show exactly 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.
“I haven’t been surprised by the coach’s capabilities because I already knew what he’s capable of,” says Diarra. “Facing 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, a place in Europe is certainly a realistic target this season.”
A Unified Environment
Externally, the chilly February wind and heavy downpour makes Wearside look as grim as it is often depicted. Inside, things are considerably warmer. The environment is free of the type of strain found in certain clubs where administrative staff are deliberately segregated from Premier League squads. Diarra describes the environment as “really natural” and praises Le Bris’s role in its formation.
“Our manager repeatedly states to us that we’re like a family here and we all support each other,” he says. “Each of us takes pride of each other.”
Freedom Within a Framework
If the organisation, discipline and sheer hard yards supporting Sunderland’s out-of-possession shape are a testament to 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 swap roles.
“The coach sets his tactics out within a structure but we have license to play within it,” says Diarra, who favors playing as a all-action No 8. “Out on the pitch that is empowering. That freedom is so important. Granit, our skipper, helps 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 advanced 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 tongue. He is proficient in Wolof, the language he spoke growing up in his hometown near Dakar.
His precocious maturity helped him deal with the frustration of needing an operation followed by four months on the sidelines 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 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 heart spoke,” says Diarra. “I have no remorse. I was born in Senegal; it makes me proud to play for them.”
Comparable feelings apply to Sunderland. “I’ve adapted very well,” he says. “I am really comfortable here.”
