Formal or informal? It speaks volumes about the young Senegalese star that his elation at being elevated from the youth ranks at Strasbourg to the senior squad was accompanied by worry over the two French words for “you.”
Would addressing new, established teammates by using “tu” be regarded as too familiar? Ultimately, the promising talent opted for caution and selected the more polite “vous”. This prompted widespread amusement from the older players who instructed him not to be so silly; he was part of the group 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.’ The Premier League was always a ambition of mine and the coach outlined for me a well-defined and appealing project.”
Roughly half a decade later, Diarra is settled in an office at the club's training ground explaining why he turned down offers from, among others, Milan, Atlético Madrid, Eintracht Frankfurt, Aston Villa and Leeds. His natural politeness remains but it is evident that the young Senegal international and doubt are practically unacquainted. Diarra conducts himself with the self-assurance 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 opening months of the league campaign healed, Diarra is on a mission to demonstrate precisely 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 the manager's reputation as a talented 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 understood he was very good, very strong in terms of strategy. He’s someone I know is helping my game progress. And although our first objective is reaching 40 points, European qualification is certainly a achievable goal this season.”
A Unified Environment
Outside, the chilly February wind and heavy downpour makes Wearside look as bleak as it is often depicted. Internally, things are much more welcoming. The environment is devoid of the type of tension found in certain clubs where office workers are deliberately segregated from Premier League squads. Diarra describes the environment as “very organic” and commends Le Bris’s role in its creation.
“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 immense effort supporting Sunderland’s defensive organization are a testament to the head coach’s attention to minutiae, Le Bris also likes his players to use their initiative. He offers his engine room players complete licence to improvise and swap roles.
“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 box-to-box No 8. “Out on the pitch that is empowering. That autonomy is so important. Granit, our skipper, helps us a lot. He’s a massive influence and a superb role model.”
Journey and Adaptation
Diarra is using 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 Guédiawaye near Dakar.
His precocious maturity helped him combat the disappointment of needing groin surgery 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 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 enjoyed representing for France but my heart spoke,” says Diarra. “There’s no regrets. I was born in Senegal; it makes me proud to play for them.”
Similar emotions apply to Sunderland. “I've settled very well,” he says. “I feel really comfortable here.”
