'We are a family unit here': Sunderland's midfielder delights in good times at Sunderland.
Vous or Tu? It speaks volumes about the young Senegalese star that his elation at being promoted from Strasbourg’s Under-17s to the first team was mixed with worry over the two distinct words for “you.”
Was it appropriate to address new, senior teammates by using “tu” be regarded as too familiar? In the end, the promising talent opted for caution and selected the more formal “vous”. Cue wholesale laughter from the older players who instructed him not to be so ridiculous; he was part of the group now.
“Once I received 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 presented me with a clear and interesting project.”
Roughly half a decade later, Diarra is sitting in an office at the club's training ground 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 doubt are virtual strangers. Diarra conducts himself with the confidence befitting a player who captained 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
Now that the groin issue that kept him out for much of the first half of the domestic season resolved, Diarra is on a mission to show exactly why he agreed to become Sunderland’s most expensive acquisition last summer. Pundits in France and Senegal queried Diarra’s unfashionable choice but he knew all about Régis Le Bris’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 understood he was very good, very strong in terms of strategy. He’s someone I know is helping my game progress. And although our primary aim is reaching 40 points, European qualification is certainly a realistic target this season.”
A Family Atmosphere
Outside, the cold winter gusts and heavy downpour makes the region look as grim as it is often depicted. Inside, things are considerably warmer. The atmosphere is devoid of the type of tension notable at certain clubs where administrative staff are kept apart from Premier League squads. Diarra portrays the environment as “really natural” and praises Le Bris’s role in its formation.
“Our manager repeatedly states to us that we have a familial bond here and we all support each other,” he says. “We’re all proud 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 attention to minutiae, Le Bris also likes his players to use their initiative. He offers his midfielders complete licence to improvise and interchange positions.
“The coach sets his tactics out within a structure but we have license to play within it,” says Diarra, who prefers to be deployed as a all-action No 8. “During matches that feels good. That autonomy is so important. Granit, our skipper, helps 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 understand most questions. He is now concentrating on acquiring the language skills to also answer them, which would be his third tongue. He is proficient in Wolof, the language he spoke growing up in his hometown near Dakar.
His early maturity helped him combat the disappointment of needing groin surgery followed by four months out of action last autumn. “Being injured so soon after arriving here was disheartening, 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 inner feeling prevailed,” says Diarra. “There’s no regrets. I was born in Senegal; it makes me proud to play for them.”
Similar emotions apply to Sunderland. “I've settled very well,” he says. “I am really comfortable here.”
