'It’s a family atmosphere here': Habib Diarra celebrates positive vibes at Sunderland.

Vous or Tu? It says a lot about the young Senegalese star that his elation at being elevated from the youth ranks at Strasbourg to the senior squad was tempered by anxiety over the two French words for “you.”

Would addressing new, older teammates by using “tu” be considered disrespectful? In the end, the promising talent opted for caution and chose the more formal “vous”. This prompted widespread amusement from the veterans who told him not to be so ridiculous; he was one of them now.

Roughly half a decade later, Diarra is sitting in an office at Sunderland’s Academy of Light explaining why he ignored overtures from, among others, several top European clubs. His innate courtesy remains but it is apparent that the young Senegal international and doubt are virtual strangers. Diarra conducts 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 Clear Project

With the groin injury that kept him out for much of the first half of the league campaign resolved, Diarra is on a quest to demonstrate precisely why he agreed to become Sunderland’s most expensive acquisition last summer. Analysts in France and Senegal questioned Diarra’s surprising decision but he knew all about Régis Le Bris’s standing 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. “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 heavy downpour makes Wearside look as bleak as it is often stereotyped. Inside, things are considerably warmer. The environment is free of the type of strain found in certain clubs where administrative staff are deliberately segregated from Premier League squads. Diarra describes the environment as “really natural” and praises Le Bris’s role in its creation.

“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 structure, rigor and sheer hard yards underpinning Sunderland’s defensive organization are a proof of the head coach’s attention to minutiae, Le Bris also likes his players to think for themselves. He offers his engine room players full freedom to improvise and interchange positions.

“Our manager establishes his tactics out within a framework but we have freedom to play within it,” says Diarra, who favors playing as a box-to-box No 8. “During matches that feels good. That autonomy is so important. Granit, our skipper, guides us a lot. He’s a really big player and a superb role model.”

Journey and Adaptation

Diarra is using a French interpreter but his English has advanced to the point where he can understand most questions. He is now focusing 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 his hometown near the Senegalese capital.

His early maturity helped him deal with the disappointment of needing an operation followed by four months out of action 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 global tournament. Given Senegal have been drawn in the same group as France, a poignant reunion 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.”

Comparable feelings apply to Sunderland. “I’ve adapted very well,” he says. “I am really comfortable here.”