'We’re like a family here': Habib Diarra delights in positive vibes at the Black Cats.

Vous or Tu? It says a lot about the young Senegalese star that his elation at being promoted from Strasbourg’s Under-17s to the first team was accompanied by worry over the two distinct words for “you.”

Would addressing new, older teammates by using “tu” be regarded as disrespectful? Ultimately, the young midfielder opted for caution and chose the more polite “vous”. This prompted wholesale laughter from the older players who instructed him not to be so silly; he was part of the group now.

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, several top European clubs. His innate courtesy endures but it is evident that the young Senegal international and uncertainty are practically unacquainted. Diarra conducts himself with the self-assurance suited to a player who captained Strasbourg at the age of 20 and, only last month, returned from Morocco clutching an Africa Cup of Nations winners’ medal.

A Defined Vision

Now that the groin issue that sidelined him 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 most expensive acquisition last summer. Pundits in France and Senegal queried Diarra’s surprising decision but he knew all about Régis Le Bris’s reputation as a talented youth coach.

“It came as no shock by the coach’s capabilities because I already knew what he’s capable of,” says Diarra. “Facing his teams I understood he was very good, very strong tactically. He’s someone I know is aiding my development. And although our first objective is reaching 40 points, a place in Europe is certainly a achievable goal this season.”

A Family Atmosphere

Externally, the cold winter gusts and heavy downpour makes the region look as bleak as it is often depicted. Internally, things are much more welcoming. The atmosphere is free of the type of strain 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.

“The coach always says to us that we’re like a family 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 sheer hard yards supporting Sunderland’s defensive organization are a proof of the head coach’s attention to minutiae, Le Bris also likes his players to use their initiative. He offers his engine room players full freedom to improvise and swap roles.

“Our manager establishes 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. “Out on the pitch that is empowering. That autonomy is so important. Granit, our skipper, helps us a lot. He’s a massive influence and a superb role model.”

Journey and Adaptation

Diarra is speaking through a French interpreter but his English has progressed 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 tongue. He is fluent in Wolof, the language he spoke in his youth in Guédiawaye near the Senegalese capital.

His precocious maturity helped him combat the disappointment of needing groin surgery 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 manage myself.”

Diarra is now anticipating playing in this summer’s global tournament. Given Senegal have been drawn in the same group as France, a emotional matchup awaits the former Les Bleus under-21 midfielder. “I loved playing for France but my heart spoke,” 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.”