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Vous or Tu? It speaks volumes about the young Senegalese star that his elation at being elevated from Strasbourg’s Under-17s to the first team was accompanied by anxiety over the two distinct words for “you.”

Was it appropriate to address new, senior teammates by using “tu” be regarded as too familiar? In the end, the promising talent played safe and chose the more formal “vous”. This prompted wholesale laughter from the veterans who instructed him not to be so silly; he was part of the group now.

“After I had the first call with the coach, I reflected 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 ambition of mine and the coach presented me with a well-defined and appealing project.”

Roughly half a decade later, Diarra is settled in an office at Sunderland’s Academy of Light detailing why he turned down offers from, among others, several top European clubs. His innate courtesy endures but it is evident that the 22-year-old Senegal international and uncertainty are practically unacquainted. Diarra conducts himself with the self-assurance befitting a player who led Strasbourg at the tender age of twenty and, only last month, returned from Morocco clutching an Africa Cup of Nations winners’ medal.

A Defined Vision

With the groin injury that kept him out for much of the opening months of the league campaign 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 questioned Diarra’s unfashionable choice but he knew all about the manager's reputation as a gifted youth coach.

“It came as no shock by the coach’s ability because I already knew what he’s able to achieve,” says Diarra. “Playing against his teams I realised he was very good, very strong in terms of strategy. He’s someone I know is helping my game progress. And although our first objective is reaching 40 points, European qualification is certainly a realistic target this season.”

A Unified Environment

Outside, the cold winter gusts and heavy downpour makes Wearside look as grim as it is often depicted. Inside, things are much more welcoming. The environment is free of the type of strain found in certain clubs where administrative staff are deliberately segregated from Premier League squads. 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 fight for each other,” he says. “Each of us takes pride of each other.”

Freedom Within a Framework

If the organisation, discipline and sheer hard yards underpinning Sunderland’s out-of-possession shape are a proof of the head coach’s attention to minutiae, Le Bris also likes his players to use their initiative. He offers his midfielders complete licence to be creative and interchange positions.

“The coach sets his tactics out within a structure 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, helps us a lot. He’s a massive influence and a fantastic example.”

Path and Settlement

Diarra is using a French interpreter but his English has progressed to the point where he can grasp most questions. He is now concentrating on acquiring the language skills to also answer them, which would be his third tongue. He is proficient in Wolof, the language he spoke in his youth in Guédiawaye near the Senegalese capital.

His precocious maturity helped him combat the disappointment 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 handle the situation.”

Diarra is now anticipating playing in this summer’s World Cup. 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 heart spoke,” says Diarra. “I have no remorse. 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.”