Vous or Tu? It speaks volumes about the young Senegalese star that his elation at being elevated from Strasbourg’s Under-17s to the first team was accompanied by worry over the two French words for “you.”
Would addressing new, older teammates by using “tu” be seen as too familiar? Ultimately, the promising talent played safe and selected the more polite “vous”. Cue wholesale laughter from the older players who instructed him not to be so ridiculous; he was one of them 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.’ England's top flight was always a goal of mine and the coach presented me with a well-defined and appealing project.”
Almost five years later, Diarra is settled in an office at Sunderland’s Academy of Light detailing why he ignored overtures 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 uncertainty are virtual strangers. Diarra carries himself with the self-assurance 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 winners’ medal.
A Clear Project
Now that the groin issue that sidelined him for much of the opening months of the league campaign resolved, Diarra is on a quest to show exactly 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 standing 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. “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 first objective is reaching 40 points, a place in Europe is certainly a realistic target this season.”
A Unified Environment
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 free of the type of tension found in certain clubs where administrative staff are kept apart from Premier League squads. Diarra portrays the environment as “really natural” and commends 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 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 think for themselves. He offers his midfielders full freedom 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 favors playing as a box-to-box No 8. “During matches that feels good. That freedom is so important. Granit, our skipper, 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 advanced to the point where he can grasp most questions. He is now focusing on acquiring the vocabulary to also answer them, which would be his third language. He is proficient in Wolof, the language he spoke in his youth in his hometown near Dakar.
His early maturity helped him deal with the frustration 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 global tournament. Given Senegal have been drawn in the same group as France, a emotional matchup 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 fills me with pride to play for them.”
Comparable feelings apply to Sunderland. “I’ve adapted very well,” he says. “I feel really comfortable here.”
