🔗 Share this article 'We are a family unit here': Habib Diarra delights in good times at the Black Cats. Formal or informal? It reveals much about the young Senegalese star that his elation at being promoted from the youth ranks at Strasbourg to the first team was mixed with anxiety over the two distinct words for “you.” Would addressing new, established teammates by using “tu” be regarded as disrespectful? Ultimately, the promising talent opted for caution and selected the more polite “vous”. Cue wholesale laughter from the older players who told 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 goal of mine and the coach presented me with a clear and interesting project.” Almost five years later, Diarra is settled 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 endures but it is evident that the 22-year-old Senegal international and uncertainty 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 AFCON winners’ medal. A Defined Vision With the groin injury that sidelined him for much of the opening months of the domestic season healed, Diarra is on a quest to show exactly 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 understood 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 Externally, the chilly February wind and driving rain makes the region look as grim as it is often stereotyped. Inside, things are much more welcoming. The environment is free of the type of tension notable at certain clubs where office workers are kept apart from first-team players. Diarra describes the environment as “very organic” 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 fight for each other,” he says. “We’re all proud of each other.” Freedom Within a Framework If the structure, rigor and immense effort supporting Sunderland’s defensive organization 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 full freedom to be creative 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 box-to-box No 8. “During matches that is empowering. That autonomy is so important. Granit, our skipper, helps 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 grasp most questions. He is now concentrating on acquiring the vocabulary to also answer them, which would be his third language. He is fluent in Wolof, the language he spoke growing up in Guédiawaye near Dakar. His precocious 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 manage myself.” Diarra is now looking forward to 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. “I have no remorse. 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.”