🔗 Share this article 'We are a family unit here': Sunderland's midfielder delights in positive vibes at Sunderland. Formal or informal? It says a lot 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 French words for “you.” Was it appropriate to address new, established teammates by using “tu” be considered disrespectful? Ultimately, the promising talent opted for caution and chose the more polite “vous”. This prompted wholesale laughter from the older players who told him not to be so silly; he was part of the group now. “After I had 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.’ England's top flight was always a dream of mine and the coach outlined for me a well-defined and appealing 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, several top European clubs. His natural politeness endures but it is apparent that the young Senegal international and uncertainty 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 holding an Africa Cup of Nations winners’ medal. A Clear Project With the groin injury that kept him out 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 most expensive acquisition last summer. Analysts in France and Senegal queried Diarra’s unfashionable choice but he knew all about Régis Le Bris’s reputation as a gifted youth coach. “I haven’t been surprised 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 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 chilly February wind and heavy downpour makes Wearside look as grim 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 kept apart from Premier League squads. Diarra describes the environment as “really natural” and praises Le Bris’s role in its formation. “The coach always says 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.” Liberty and Structure 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 think for themselves. He offers his engine room players full freedom to improvise and swap roles. “The coach sets his tactics out within a structure but we have license to play within it,” says Diarra, who favors playing as a box-to-box No 8. “Out on the pitch that feels good. That autonomy is so important. Our captain, Granit, 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 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 proficient in Wolof, the language he spoke growing up in his hometown near the Senegalese capital. His early maturity helped him combat the frustration of needing an operation followed by four months on the sidelines 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 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 enjoyed representing for France but my inner feeling prevailed,” says Diarra. “There’s no regrets. 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 am really comfortable here.”