Formal or informal? It reveals much about the young Senegalese star that his joy at being promoted from Strasbourg’s Under-17s to the first team was accompanied by worry over the two French words for “you.”
Would addressing new, established teammates by using “tu” be seen as disrespectful? In the end, 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 ridiculous; he was part of the group 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 dream of mine and the coach presented me with 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, several top European clubs. His natural politeness remains but it is clear that the 22-year-old Senegal international and uncertainty are practically unacquainted. Diarra conducts himself with the self-assurance suited to a player who led Strasbourg at the tender age of twenty and, only last month, returned from Morocco clutching an AFCON championship trophy.
A Defined Vision
With the groin injury that sidelined him for much of the opening months of the domestic season 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 queried 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 capabilities because I already knew what he’s able to achieve,” 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 first objective is reaching 40 points, European qualification is certainly a realistic target this season.”
A Family Atmosphere
Externally, the cold winter gusts and driving rain makes Wearside look as bleak as it is often stereotyped. Internally, things are much more welcoming. 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.
“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 supporting Sunderland’s defensive organization are a proof of the head coach’s attention to minutiae, Le Bris also likes his players to think for themselves. He offers his midfielders full freedom to be creative and interchange positions.
“The coach sets his tactics out within a structure but we have freedom 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, guides us a lot. He’s a massive influence and a fantastic example.”
Path and Settlement
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 language skills to also answer them, which would be his third tongue. He is fluent 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 on the sidelines last autumn. “Being injured 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 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.”
