Formal or informal? 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 anxiety over the two French words for “you.”
Was it appropriate to address new, older teammates by using “tu” be regarded as too familiar? In the end, the young midfielder opted for caution and chose the more formal “vous”. This prompted wholesale laughter from the veterans who instructed him not to be so ridiculous; he was one of them now.
“After I had 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 outlined for me a clear and interesting project.”
Almost five years later, Diarra is sitting in an office at the club's training ground detailing why he turned down offers from, among others, several top European clubs. His natural politeness remains but it is clear that the young Senegal international and uncertainty are virtual strangers. Diarra carries himself with the confidence suited to a player who led Strasbourg at the tender age of twenty and, only last month, returned from Morocco clutching an Africa Cup of Nations winners’ medal.
A Clear Project
With the groin injury that sidelined him for much of the first half of the domestic season resolved, Diarra is on a quest to demonstrate precisely why he agreed to become Sunderland’s most expensive acquisition last summer. Pundits in France and Senegal questioned Diarra’s unfashionable choice but he knew all about the manager's standing as a gifted 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 in terms of strategy. He’s someone I know is aiding my development. And although our primary aim is reaching 40 points, European qualification is certainly a realistic target this season.”
A Unified Environment
Externally, the cold winter gusts and heavy downpour makes the region look as grim as it is often stereotyped. Internally, things are much more welcoming. The environment is devoid of the type of tension found in certain clubs where administrative staff are deliberately segregated from first-team players. Diarra portrays the environment as “very organic” and commends Le Bris’s role in its formation.
“Our manager repeatedly states to us that we have a familial bond here and we all fight for each other,” he says. “We’re all proud of each other.”
Liberty and Structure
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 complete licence to improvise and swap roles.
“Our manager establishes his tactics out within a framework but we have license to play within it,” says Diarra, who favors playing as a box-to-box No 8. “During matches that is empowering. That autonomy is so important. Our captain, Granit, guides us a lot. He’s a really big player and a superb role model.”
Path and Settlement
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 tongue. He is fluent in Wolof, the language he spoke in his youth in Guédiawaye near Dakar.
His early 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 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 emotional matchup awaits the former Les Bleus under-21 midfielder. “I loved playing 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 settled very well,” he says. “I feel really comfortable here.”
