Vous or Tu? It reveals much about the young Senegalese star that his delight at being elevated from Strasbourg’s Under-17s to the first team was mixed with worry over the two distinct words for “you.”
Would addressing new, older teammates by using “tu” be regarded as too familiar? Ultimately, the young midfielder opted for caution and selected the more polite “vous”. This prompted widespread amusement from the veterans 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.’ The Premier League was always a ambition of mine and the coach outlined for me a well-defined and appealing project.”
Roughly half a decade later, Diarra is settled in an office at the club's training ground detailing why he ignored overtures from, among others, several top European clubs. His innate courtesy remains but it is clear that the 22-year-old Senegal international and doubt are virtual strangers. Diarra carries himself with the self-assurance suited to a player who led Strasbourg at the age of 20 and, only last month, returned from Morocco holding an Africa Cup of Nations winners’ medal.
A Defined Vision
With the groin injury that sidelined him for much of the first half of the domestic season resolved, Diarra is on a mission to demonstrate precisely why he agreed to become Sunderland’s most expensive acquisition last summer. Pundits in France and Senegal questioned Diarra’s surprising decision but he knew all about Régis Le Bris’s reputation as a talented youth coach.
“I haven’t been surprised by the coach’s ability because I already knew what he’s capable of,” says Diarra. “Facing his teams I realised 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, European qualification is certainly a realistic target this season.”
A Family Atmosphere
Outside, the chilly February wind and driving rain makes Wearside look as grim as it is often stereotyped. Inside, things are considerably warmer. The atmosphere is free of the type of strain found in certain clubs where administrative staff are kept apart from Premier League squads. Diarra describes the environment as “very organic” and praises Le Bris’s role in its formation.
“Our manager repeatedly states to us that we’re like a family here and we all fight for each other,” he says. “We’re all proud 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 think for themselves. He offers his engine room players complete licence to improvise and swap roles.
“Our manager establishes his tactics out within a framework but we have freedom to play within it,” says Diarra, who prefers to be deployed as a all-action No 8. “Out on the pitch that is empowering. That autonomy 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 concentrating on acquiring the language skills to also answer them, which would be his third language. He is fluent in Wolof, the language he spoke in his youth in Guédiawaye near the Senegalese capital.
His precocious maturity helped him combat the frustration of needing groin surgery followed by four months on the sidelines 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 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 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 am really comfortable here.”
