🔗 Share this article 'We’re like a family here': Sunderland's midfielder celebrates positive vibes at Sunderland. Formal or informal? It speaks volumes about the young Senegalese star that his delight at being elevated from the youth ranks at Strasbourg to the first team was tempered by anxiety over the two distinct words for “you.” Would addressing new, established teammates by using “tu” be seen as too familiar? Ultimately, the promising talent opted for caution and selected the more formal “vous”. This prompted wholesale laughter from the older players who instructed him not to be so ridiculous; he was one of them now. “Once I received 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.’ The Premier League was always a dream of mine and the coach outlined for me a clear and interesting project.” Almost five years later, Diarra is settled in an office at the club's training ground explaining why he ignored overtures from, among others, several top European clubs. His natural politeness remains but it is clear that the young Senegal international and uncertainty 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 holding an AFCON winners’ medal. A Defined Vision With the groin injury that sidelined him for much of the first half of the league campaign healed, Diarra is on a quest to demonstrate precisely why he agreed to become Sunderland’s record £30m signing last summer. Analysts in France and Senegal queried Diarra’s surprising decision but he knew all about the manager's reputation as a gifted youth coach. “It came as no shock 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 aiding my development. And although our primary aim is reaching 40 points, European qualification is certainly a achievable goal this season.” A Unified Environment Outside, the cold winter gusts and driving rain makes Wearside look as bleak as it is often stereotyped. Inside, things are much more welcoming. The atmosphere is free of the type of strain notable at certain clubs where office workers are deliberately segregated from Premier League squads. Diarra portrays the environment as “very organic” and commends 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.” Liberty and Structure If the organisation, discipline and immense effort 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 use their initiative. He offers his engine room players complete licence 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 is empowering. That freedom is so important. Our captain, Granit, helps us a lot. He’s a massive influence 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 understand most questions. He is now concentrating on acquiring the language skills to also answer them, which would be his third language. He is proficient in Wolof, the language he spoke growing up in his hometown near the Senegalese capital. His precocious maturity helped him combat the frustration of needing groin surgery followed by four months out of action 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 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. “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 feel really comfortable here.”