'We are a family unit here': Habib Diarra delights in good times at the Black Cats.
Vous or Tu? It speaks volumes about Habib Diarra that his delight at being elevated from the youth ranks at Strasbourg to the first team was accompanied by worry over the two distinct words for “you.”
Would addressing new, older teammates by using “tu” be seen as too familiar? In the end, the promising talent played safe and chose the more polite “vous”. This prompted wholesale laughter from the older players who instructed him not to be so ridiculous; 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.’ England's top flight was always a goal of mine and the coach presented me with a clear and interesting project.”
Almost five years later, Diarra is settled in an office at the club's training ground explaining why he turned down offers from, among others, several top European clubs. His innate courtesy remains but it is clear that the 22-year-old Senegal international and uncertainty are virtual strangers. Diarra carries 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 championship trophy.
A Defined Vision
With the groin injury that kept him out for much of the opening months of the domestic season healed, Diarra is on a mission to demonstrate precisely why he agreed to become Sunderland’s record £30m signing last summer. Pundits in France and Senegal questioned Diarra’s unfashionable choice but he knew all about the manager's reputation as a gifted 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 realised 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, European qualification is certainly a achievable goal this season.”
A Family Atmosphere
Outside, the cold winter gusts and driving rain makes Wearside look as bleak as it is often depicted. Inside, things are considerably warmer. The environment is devoid of the type of tension notable at certain clubs where office workers are kept apart from Premier League squads. Diarra portrays the environment as “very organic” and praises Le Bris’s role in its creation.
“The coach always says to us that we have a familial bond here and we all support each other,” he says. “We’re all proud of each other.”
Freedom Within a Framework
If the organisation, discipline and immense effort underpinning 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 full freedom to improvise and swap roles.
“Our manager establishes 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 feels good. That autonomy is so important. Our captain, Granit, guides us a lot. He’s a massive influence and a fantastic example.”
Journey and Adaptation
Diarra is speaking through a French interpreter but his English has progressed to the point where he can grasp most questions. He is now concentrating on acquiring the vocabulary to also answer them, which would be his third tongue. He is fluent in Wolof, the language he spoke growing up in Guédiawaye near the Senegalese capital.
His precocious maturity helped him combat the frustration 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 handle the situation.”
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 enjoyed representing 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 adapted very well,” he says. “I am really comfortable here.”
