'We are a family unit here': Habib Diarra celebrates good times at Sunderland.
Formal or informal? It speaks volumes about the young Senegalese star that his delight at being promoted from the youth ranks at Strasbourg to the senior squad was mixed with anxiety over the two distinct words for “you.”
Was it appropriate to address new, older teammates by using “tu” be regarded as disrespectful? Ultimately, the promising talent opted for caution and chose the more formal “vous”. Cue wholesale laughter from the veterans who told him not to be so ridiculous; he was part of the group now.
“After I had 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 presented me with a clear and interesting project.”
Roughly half a decade later, Diarra is sitting 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 endures but it is evident that the 22-year-old Senegal international and doubt are practically unacquainted. Diarra carries himself with the confidence suited to a player who led Strasbourg at the age of 20 and, only last month, returned from Morocco holding an AFCON winners’ medal.
A Clear Project
Now that the groin issue that kept him out for much of the first half of the domestic season healed, 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 questioned Diarra’s unfashionable choice but he knew all about Régis Le Bris’s reputation as a gifted youth coach.
“It came as no shock 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 in terms of strategy. 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 Family Atmosphere
Externally, the chilly February wind and heavy downpour makes Wearside look as bleak as it is often depicted. Internally, things are much more welcoming. The atmosphere is devoid of the type of tension found in certain clubs where administrative staff are deliberately segregated from first-team players. 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. “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 attention to minutiae, Le Bris also likes his players to use their initiative. He offers his midfielders full freedom to be creative and interchange positions.
“The coach sets his tactics out within a structure but we have license to play within it,” says Diarra, who prefers to be deployed as a all-action No 8. “During matches 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.”
Journey and Adaptation
Diarra is speaking through a French interpreter but his English has progressed 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 in his youth in his hometown near the Senegalese capital.
His precocious maturity helped him deal with the frustration of needing groin surgery followed by four months out of action last autumn. “Being injured so soon after arriving here was disheartening, 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. “I have no remorse. I was born in Senegal; it makes me proud to play for them.”
Comparable feelings apply to Sunderland. “I've settled very well,” he says. “I am really comfortable here.”
