Ousmane Diakité believes having “freedom in his mind” is enabling him to perform at a high level for West Bromwich Albion.
The midfielder, who is now into his third season at The Hawthorns, has been an ever-present in the middle of the park for a Baggies team which has caught the eye in the early part of the 2026/27 campaign.
Diakité says he’s determined to keep improving and insists the right mix of hard work, confidence and enjoyment, rather than becoming “stressed”, will allow him to do so.
The Mali international said: “Football can be up and down at times, but I feel great now.
“I am working so hard every day, I believe in myself and do everything I can to improve. I have freedom in my mind and I don’t like to be stressed or see other people stressed.
“Everyone has to play their part in the team and I always do what I can with smiles and laughter to try and make sure nobody is stressed. Not worrying is my mentality because I always think it’s best to stay positive, even in bad situations.
“We are in a really good way right now and we are still trying to build that more. The coaches are working for the team to make it easier for us to play on the pitch and it’s up to us as players to prove why they’re doing all this work when we step onto the field.
“We are back at home this weekend and we want more points. Every match is important and we respect every single team. We know it will be a hard game against QPR, but we are confident and we want to continue our good work in front of our fans. I can’t wait for it.”
Read the full interview with Ousmane in Saturday's edition of Albion News. Copies can be purchased for £4 around The Hawthorns or, alternatively, be pre-ordered online here.
