Formal or informal? It says a lot about the young Senegalese star that his joy at being promoted from Strasbourg’s Under-17s to the senior squad was mixed with anxiety over the two French words for “you.”
Would addressing new, established teammates by using “tu” be seen as too familiar? Ultimately, the promising talent opted for caution and chose the more polite “vous”. Cue wholesale laughter from the veterans who told 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.’ The Premier League was always a goal of mine and the coach outlined for me a clear and interesting 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 natural politeness endures but it is clear that the young Senegal international and doubt are practically unacquainted. Diarra conducts himself with the self-assurance befitting a player who led Strasbourg at the tender age of twenty and, only last month, returned from Morocco clutching an Africa Cup of Nations championship trophy.
A Defined Vision
With the groin injury that kept him out for much of the first half of the league campaign resolved, Diarra is on a mission to show exactly why he agreed to become Sunderland’s record £30m signing last summer. Pundits in France and Senegal queried Diarra’s surprising decision but he knew all about the manager's reputation as a talented youth coach.
“It came as no shock by the coach’s ability because I already knew what he’s capable of,” 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 first objective is reaching 40 points, European qualification is certainly a achievable goal this season.”
A Unified Environment
Externally, the cold winter gusts and driving rain makes Wearside look as bleak as it is often depicted. Internally, things are considerably warmer. The atmosphere is devoid of the type of strain notable at certain clubs where office workers are kept apart from Premier League squads. 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 fight for each other,” he says. “Each of us takes pride of each other.”
Liberty and Structure
If the structure, rigor and immense effort supporting Sunderland’s out-of-possession shape are a proof of 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 interchange positions.
“The coach sets his tactics out within a framework but we have license to play within it,” says Diarra, who prefers to be deployed as a box-to-box No 8. “Out on the pitch that feels good. That freedom is so important. Granit, our skipper, guides us a lot. He’s a really big player and a fantastic example.”
Path and Settlement
Diarra is speaking through a French interpreter but his English has advanced to the point where he can understand most questions. He is now focusing on acquiring the language skills to also answer them, which would be his third language. He is proficient in Wolof, the language he spoke in his youth in Guédiawaye near the Senegalese capital.
His early maturity helped him deal with the frustration of needing an operation followed by four months on the sidelines last autumn. “Getting hurt 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 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.”
Similar emotions apply to Sunderland. “I've settled very well,” he says. “I am really comfortable here.”
