Lass: “I was taught how to work hard and suffer as a child”

Lass Diarra has become a fan favourite in no time. The player talks about how he started playing and shares his views on the role someone in his position should have.

I learned how to think as a central midefielder by watching Makelele. I was 20 years old and learned what to do at precise moments in each game by watching him play. I learned how to start a play, how to wait, what distance to keep with the defenders and the forwards, when to run down the wings, when to stay in the centre… We are nevertheless different players; he is a pure defensive midfielder, whereas I can venture more in attack.

You shouldn’t make things too complicated when you play in my position. My job is to steal the ball and pass it on. I’m not Zidane. The French national coach always tells me I should help out more in attack. Juande does too. I work hard to make progress and I may be able to do more for the team in the future. Xavi is a great example of a central midfielder who is capable of playing as a number ’10′ or a number ’8′.

I was very small when I was 14 and 15 years old. I still am. Technical coaches used to tell me I wouldn’t be able to become a professional. I had good touch on ball, but they always said the best I could do is go back home. Great players are those who stay strong when the going gets tough. It’s easy to feel fine when everything works out for you, but I’ve learned how to feel well in tough times: when I didn’t play at Chelsea, when things didn’t turn out as I had planned at Arsenal, when I took a step back in my career by signing for a family club like Portsmouth -I always thought I should end up playing on a Champions League team-.

My father is a builder and my mother a house cleaner. We didn’t have much money when I was a child. It wasn’t easy for my parents. They got up at 6:00 and returned home at 20:00. They taught me how to work hard and to how to suffer. My father used to get happy when things didn’t work out for me. ‘This way you’ll learn,’ he used to say, ‘you’ll benefit from suffering.