🔗 Share this article 'We’re like a family here': Sunderland's midfielder celebrates good times at Sunderland. Formal or informal? It reveals much about the young Senegalese star that his joy at being elevated from Strasbourg’s Under-17s to the senior squad was accompanied by anxiety over the two French words for “you.” Would addressing new, older teammates by using “tu” be considered disrespectful? In the end, the young midfielder opted for caution and chose the more formal “vous”. Cue wholesale laughter 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 dream of mine and the coach outlined for me a well-defined and appealing 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, Milan, Atlético Madrid, Eintracht Frankfurt, Aston Villa and Leeds. His innate courtesy remains but it is apparent that the 22-year-old Senegal international and uncertainty are practically unacquainted. Diarra conducts himself with the confidence befitting a player who led Strasbourg at the tender age of twenty and, only last month, returned from Morocco clutching an AFCON winners’ medal. A Defined Vision Now that the groin issue 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 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 primary aim is reaching 40 points, European qualification is certainly a realistic target this season.” A Family Atmosphere Outside, 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 devoid of the type of tension notable at certain clubs where office workers are deliberately segregated from first-team players. Diarra portrays the environment as “very organic” and commends Le Bris’s role in its creation. “The coach always says to us that we’re like a family here and we all fight for each other,” he says. “Each of us takes pride of each other.” Liberty and Structure If the organisation, discipline and immense effort supporting Sunderland’s out-of-possession shape are a proof of the head coach’s meticulous eye for detail, Le Bris also likes his players to think for themselves. He offers his engine room players full freedom to be creative and swap roles. “The coach sets his tactics out within a structure but we have freedom to play within it,” says Diarra, who favors playing as a box-to-box No 8. “Out on the pitch that feels good. That freedom is so important. Our captain, Granit, helps us a lot. He’s a really big player and a superb role model.” Path and Settlement 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 language skills 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 Dakar. His precocious 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 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 loved playing 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.” Comparable feelings apply to Sunderland. “I’ve adapted very well,” he says. “I am really comfortable here.”