🔗 Share this article 'We’re like a family here': Habib Diarra celebrates good times at Sunderland. Formal or informal? It says a lot about Habib Diarra that his delight at being promoted from the youth ranks at Strasbourg to the first team was accompanied by worry over the two French words for “you.” Would addressing new, senior teammates by using “tu” be regarded as disrespectful? In the end, the young midfielder opted for caution and selected the more formal “vous”. Cue widespread amusement from the older players who instructed him not to be so silly; 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 outlined for me a clear and interesting project.” Almost five years later, Diarra is sitting in an office at the club's training ground explaining why he turned down offers from, among others, several top European clubs. His innate courtesy endures but it is apparent that the young Senegal international and doubt are practically unacquainted. Diarra carries himself with the confidence befitting a player who led Strasbourg at the age of 20 and, only last month, returned from Morocco holding an Africa Cup of Nations championship trophy. A Defined Vision With the groin injury that sidelined him for much of the opening months 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. Analysts in France and Senegal questioned 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 able to achieve,” says Diarra. “Playing against his teams I understood 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, a place in Europe is certainly a realistic target this season.” A Unified Environment Externally, the cold winter gusts and heavy downpour makes the region look as bleak as it is often depicted. Inside, things are considerably warmer. The environment is devoid of the type of tension notable at certain clubs where office workers are deliberately segregated from Premier League squads. Diarra portrays the environment as “really natural” and commends Le Bris’s role in its creation. “The coach always says to us that we have a familial bond here and we all support each other,” he says. “Each of us takes pride of each other.” Liberty and Structure If the structure, rigor 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 full freedom 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 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 massive influence 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 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 his hometown near the Senegalese capital. His early maturity helped him combat the disappointment of needing an operation followed by four months out of action last autumn. “Getting hurt 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 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.”