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Formal or informal? It says a lot about the young Senegalese star that his joy at being promoted from Strasbourg’s Under-17s 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 widespread amusement from the older players who instructed him not to be so ridiculous; he was part of the group 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 presented me with a clear and interesting project.”

Roughly half a decade later, Diarra is settled in an office at Sunderland’s Academy of Light explaining why he turned down offers from, among others, Milan, Atlético Madrid, Eintracht Frankfurt, Aston Villa and Leeds. His innate courtesy endures but it is apparent that the 22-year-old Senegal international and uncertainty are practically unacquainted. Diarra carries himself with the self-assurance befitting a player who captained Strasbourg at the age of 20 and, only last month, returned from Morocco holding an AFCON winners’ medal.

A Clear Project

With the groin injury that kept him out for much of the first half of the domestic season resolved, Diarra is on a mission to demonstrate precisely why he agreed to become Sunderland’s record £30m signing last summer. Analysts in France and Senegal queried Diarra’s unfashionable choice but he knew all about the manager'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. “Facing 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 driving rain makes the region look as bleak as it is often stereotyped. Inside, things are considerably warmer. The environment is free of the type of tension found in certain clubs where administrative staff are kept apart from first-team players. Diarra describes 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. “Each of us takes pride of each other.”

Freedom Within a Framework

If the organisation, discipline and immense effort underpinning Sunderland’s defensive organization are a proof of the head coach’s attention to minutiae, Le Bris also likes his players to think for themselves. He offers his midfielders full freedom to be creative and swap roles.

“The coach sets his tactics out within a structure but we have freedom to play within it,” says Diarra, who prefers to be deployed as a box-to-box No 8. “Out on the pitch that is empowering. That freedom is so important. Our captain, Granit, 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 progressed to the point where he can grasp most questions. He is now focusing on acquiring the vocabulary to also answer them, which would be his third language. He is proficient in Wolof, the language he spoke growing up in Guédiawaye near the Senegalese capital.

His early maturity helped him deal with the frustration of needing an operation 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 anticipating playing in this summer’s global tournament. Given Senegal have been drawn in the same group as France, a emotional matchup awaits the former Les Bleus under-21 midfielder. “I loved playing 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 settled very well,” he says. “I am really comfortable here.”