'We are a family unit here': Habib Diarra delights in good times at Sunderland.

Vous or Tu? It says a lot about the young Senegalese star that his joy at being elevated from the youth ranks at Strasbourg to the first team was tempered by worry over the two distinct words for “you.”

Would addressing new, senior teammates by using “tu” be regarded as disrespectful? In the end, the young midfielder played safe and selected the more formal “vous”. Cue wholesale laughter from the veterans who told him not to be so ridiculous; he was one of them now.

Roughly half a decade later, Diarra is settled in an office at the club's training ground explaining why he turned down offers from, among others, several top European clubs. His innate courtesy endures but it is clear that the young Senegal international and doubt are virtual strangers. Diarra conducts himself with the self-assurance befitting a player who led 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 opening months of the domestic season resolved, Diarra is on a quest 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 gifted youth coach.

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

A Family Atmosphere

Externally, the chilly February wind and heavy downpour makes the region look as grim as it is often depicted. Inside, things are considerably warmer. The atmosphere is free of the type of strain notable at certain clubs where administrative staff are kept apart from first-team players. Diarra describes the environment as “very organic” and praises Le Bris’s role in its creation.

“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 structure, rigor and sheer hard yards supporting Sunderland’s defensive organization 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 full freedom to be creative and swap roles.

“Our manager establishes 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. “During matches 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.”

Path and Settlement

Diarra is speaking through 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 tongue. He is fluent in Wolof, the language he spoke in his youth in his hometown near Dakar.

His precocious maturity helped him deal with the frustration of needing groin surgery 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 enjoyed representing for France but my inner feeling prevailed,” says Diarra. “I have no remorse. I was born in Senegal; it makes me proud to play for them.”

Comparable feelings apply to Sunderland. “I've settled very well,” he says. “I feel really comfortable here.”