'It’s a family atmosphere here': Sunderland's midfielder delights in good times at the Black Cats.

Formal or informal? It speaks volumes about the young Senegalese star that his elation at being elevated from the youth ranks at Strasbourg to the first team was accompanied by worry over the two French words for “you.”

Would addressing new, senior teammates by using “tu” be considered too familiar? In the end, the promising talent opted for caution and selected the more polite “vous”. Cue wholesale laughter from the older players who told him not to be so ridiculous; he was part of the group now.

Almost five years later, Diarra is sitting in an office at the club's training ground detailing why he turned down offers from, among others, Milan, Atlético Madrid, Eintracht Frankfurt, Aston Villa and Leeds. His innate courtesy remains but it is clear that the 22-year-old Senegal international and uncertainty are practically unacquainted. Diarra carries himself with the confidence suited to a player who led Strasbourg at the tender age of twenty and, only last month, returned from Morocco holding an AFCON winners’ medal.

A Clear Project

Now that the groin issue that sidelined him for much of the first half of the league campaign healed, Diarra is on a mission to show exactly why he agreed to become Sunderland’s most expensive acquisition last summer. Pundits 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. “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 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 heavy downpour makes the region look as grim as it is often depicted. Inside, things are much more welcoming. The atmosphere is devoid of the type of tension found in certain clubs where office workers are deliberately segregated from Premier League squads. Diarra describes the environment as “really natural” 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. “We’re all proud of each other.”

Freedom Within a Framework

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 complete licence to be creative and interchange positions.

“The coach sets his tactics out within a structure but we have freedom to play within it,” says Diarra, who favors playing as a all-action No 8. “Out on the pitch that is empowering. That freedom is so important. Granit, our skipper, 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 understand most questions. He is now focusing on acquiring the vocabulary to also answer them, which would be his third language. He is fluent in Wolof, the language he spoke in his youth in Guédiawaye near Dakar.

His early maturity helped him deal with the disappointment of needing groin surgery followed by four months on the sidelines last autumn. “Being injured 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 loved playing 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 am really comfortable here.”