'We are a family unit here': Habib Diarra celebrates good times at the Black Cats.

Vous or Tu? It says a lot about the young Senegalese star that his delight at being promoted from Strasbourg’s Under-17s 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 regarded as too familiar? In the end, the young midfielder opted for caution and selected the more polite “vous”. This prompted wholesale laughter from the veterans who instructed him not to be so silly; he was part of the group now.

Almost five years later, Diarra is sitting in an office at the club's training ground explaining why he ignored overtures from, among others, several top European clubs. His innate courtesy endures but it is evident that the 22-year-old Senegal international and doubt are virtual strangers. Diarra carries 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 Africa Cup of Nations championship trophy.

A Clear Project

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. Pundits in France and Senegal queried Diarra’s unfashionable choice but he knew all about Régis Le Bris’s reputation as a talented youth coach.

“I haven’t been surprised 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 in terms of strategy. He’s someone I know is helping my game progress. And although our primary aim is reaching 40 points, a place in Europe is certainly a achievable goal this season.”

A Unified Environment

Externally, the chilly February wind and driving rain makes the region look as grim as it is often stereotyped. Internally, things are much more welcoming. The atmosphere is devoid of the type of strain found in certain clubs where administrative staff are deliberately segregated from first-team players. Diarra describes the environment as “very organic” and praises Le Bris’s role in its creation.

“Our manager repeatedly states to us that we’re like a family here and we all support each other,” he says. “We’re all proud of each other.”

Freedom Within a Framework

If the organisation, discipline 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 think for themselves. He offers his midfielders 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 prefers to be deployed as a all-action No 8. “During matches that feels good. That freedom is so important. Our captain, Granit, guides us a lot. He’s a really big player and a fantastic example.”

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 proficient in Wolof, the language he spoke in his youth in his hometown near the Senegalese capital.

His precocious maturity helped him combat the disappointment of needing an operation 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 handle the situation.”

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 heart spoke,” says Diarra. “I have no remorse. I was born in Senegal; it fills me with pride to play for them.”

Similar emotions apply to Sunderland. “I’ve adapted very well,” he says. “I feel really comfortable here.”