'We’re like a family here': Sunderland's midfielder delights in good times 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 senior squad was mixed with worry over the two French words for “you.”

Was it appropriate to address new, senior teammates by using “tu” be considered disrespectful? Ultimately, the young midfielder opted for caution and chose the more polite “vous”. This prompted wholesale laughter from the older players who instructed him not to be so silly; he was part of the group now.

Roughly half a decade later, Diarra is sitting 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 remains but it is evident that the 22-year-old Senegal international and uncertainty are practically unacquainted. Diarra conducts himself with the confidence befitting a player who captained Strasbourg at the age of 20 and, only last month, returned from Morocco holding an Africa Cup of Nations championship trophy.

A Clear Project

With the groin injury that kept him out for much of the opening months of the domestic season healed, Diarra is on a quest to demonstrate precisely why he agreed to become Sunderland’s record £30m signing last summer. Pundits in France and Senegal questioned Diarra’s surprising decision but he knew all about Régis Le Bris’s standing as a talented youth coach.

“It came as no shock by the coach’s capabilities 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 chilly February wind and driving rain makes the region look as grim as it is often stereotyped. Inside, things are considerably warmer. The atmosphere is free of the type of tension found in certain clubs where office workers are kept apart from first-team players. Diarra describes the environment as “really natural” and commends Le Bris’s role in its formation.

“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 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 think for themselves. He offers his midfielders full freedom to improvise and swap roles.

“The coach sets his tactics out within a framework but we have license to play within it,” says Diarra, who favors playing as a all-action No 8. “Out on the pitch that is empowering. That autonomy is so important. Granit, our skipper, guides us a lot. He’s a massive influence and a fantastic example.”

Path and Settlement

Diarra is speaking through a French interpreter but his English has advanced to the point where he can understand most questions. He is now focusing on acquiring the language skills to also answer them, which would be his third language. He is proficient in Wolof, the language he spoke in his youth in his hometown near Dakar.

His early 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 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 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 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.”