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Formal or informal? It speaks volumes about Habib Diarra that his delight at being elevated from Strasbourg’s Under-17s to the senior squad was tempered by anxiety over the two distinct words for “you.”

Would addressing new, older teammates by using “tu” be seen as disrespectful? Ultimately, the promising talent opted for caution and selected the more polite “vous”. Cue widespread amusement from the older players who told him not to be so silly; 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 goal of mine and the coach presented me with a clear and interesting project.”

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 remains but it is clear that the 22-year-old Senegal international and doubt are practically unacquainted. Diarra carries himself with the self-assurance suited to a player who captained Strasbourg at the tender age of twenty and, only last month, returned from Morocco clutching an AFCON championship trophy.

A Clear Project

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 record £30m signing last summer. Pundits in France and Senegal queried Diarra’s surprising decision but he knew all about Régis Le Bris’s standing as a gifted youth coach.

“I haven’t been surprised by the coach’s capabilities because I already knew what he’s capable of,” says Diarra. “Playing against his teams I understood he was very good, very strong tactically. 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 Family Atmosphere

Externally, the cold winter gusts and heavy downpour makes the region look as bleak as it is often stereotyped. Internally, things are considerably warmer. The environment is free of the type of tension found in certain clubs where administrative staff are kept apart from Premier League squads. Diarra describes the environment as “really natural” and praises Le Bris’s role in its formation.

“The coach always says to us that we’re like a family here and we all fight for each other,” he says. “Each of us takes pride 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 attention to minutiae, Le Bris also likes his players to think for themselves. He offers his engine room players complete licence to improvise and interchange positions.

“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 box-to-box No 8. “Out on the pitch that feels good. 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 speaking through a French interpreter but his English has progressed to the point where he can grasp most questions. He is now focusing on acquiring the language skills to also answer them, which would be his third tongue. He is fluent in Wolof, the language he spoke growing up in his hometown near the Senegalese capital.

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 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. “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.”