Vous or Tu? It reveals much about the young Senegalese star that his elation at being promoted from Strasbourg’s Under-17s to the first team was accompanied by worry over the two distinct words for “you.”
Was it appropriate to address new, established teammates by using “tu” be seen as disrespectful? In the end, the young midfielder played safe and selected the more formal “vous”. This prompted wholesale laughter from the older players who told him not to be so silly; 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.’ England's top flight was always a goal of mine and the coach outlined for me a well-defined and appealing project.”
Roughly half a decade later, Diarra is sitting in an office at the club's training ground detailing why he turned down offers from, among others, Milan, Atlético Madrid, Eintracht Frankfurt, Aston Villa and Leeds. His natural politeness remains but it is apparent that the 22-year-old Senegal international and uncertainty are virtual strangers. Diarra conducts 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 Defined Vision
Now that the groin issue that kept him out for much of the first half of the league campaign resolved, 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 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. “Playing against his teams I realised he was very good, very strong tactically. 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 Unified Environment
Outside, the cold winter gusts and driving rain makes Wearside look as bleak as it is often stereotyped. Internally, things are much more welcoming. The atmosphere is free of the type of strain 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.
“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.”
Liberty and Structure
If the structure, rigor and immense effort underpinning Sunderland’s defensive organization are a testament to 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 swap roles.
“Our manager establishes his tactics out within a structure but we have freedom to play within it,” says Diarra, who prefers to be deployed as a box-to-box No 8. “During matches that is empowering. That freedom is so important. Granit, our skipper, helps us a lot. He’s a really big player and a superb role model.”
Journey and Adaptation
Diarra is using a French interpreter but his English has progressed to the point where he can understand most questions. He is now focusing 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 Dakar.
His precocious maturity helped him combat the frustration of needing an operation followed by four months out of action last autumn. “Getting hurt so soon after arriving here was disheartening, for sure,” he says. “But it was up to me to handle the situation.”
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 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 settled very well,” he says. “I am really comfortable here.”
