text: Olivier Giroud's Barclays Premier League player of the month award makes the French the league's outright most successful foreign nationality, with the Arsenal striker becoming France's 16th winner of the accolade. Giroud netted five times in Arsenal's four consecutive league wins last month as Arsene Wenger's side took all 12 points on offer to claim the award for March. And in doing so he joined a long list of his compatriots to be ranked as a month's best player in the English top flight, alongside the likes of Thierry Henry, Eric Cantona and Nicolas Anelka. Olivier Giroud won the Barclays Premier League player of the month award for March after his run of form . Thierry Henry collects the award for April before a match at Highbury in May 2000, one of four wins for him . David Ginola was the first French winner of the award, claiming it while at Newcastle in August 1995 . August 1995: David Ginola, Newcastle . March 1996: Eric Cantona, Manchester United . April 1998: Emmanuel Petit, Arsenal . December 1998: David Ginola, Tottenham . February 1999: Nicolas Anelka, Arsenal . April 2000: Thierry Henry, Arsenal . August 2001: Louis Saha, Fulham . August 2002: Sylvain Wiltord, Arsenal . September 2002: Thierry Henry, Arsenal . February 2003: Robert Pires, Arsenal . January 2004: Thierry Henry, Arsenal . April 2004: Thierry Henry, Arsenal . November 2008: Nicolas Anelka, Chelsea . March 2010: Florent Malouda, Chelsea . December 2010: Samir Nasri, Arsenal . March 2015: Olivier Giroud, Arsenal . Giroud's prize sees his country edge out Holland as the most successful nation in terms of player of the month awards, beaten only by the native English on home territory. Much of that success comes down to Giroud's club, Arsenal. They have provided 10 French winners with Henry, Anelka, Emmanuel Petit, Sylvain Wiltord, Robert Pires and Samir Nasri have all won it while in north London. Former Arsenal striker Henry is the top Frenchman was four awards, trailing only Steven Gerrard (on six), Wayne Rooney and Alan Shearer (both five), and sitting in good company, level with Cristiano Ronaldo, Dennis Bergkamp, Frank Lampard and Paul Scholes. 'I'm really pleased with it,' Giroud told Arsenal's official website after winning the March prize. 'I would like to thank my team-mates and of course the fans, because it's a collective sport and I couldn't do it on my own. 'It's a great honour to have been selected as Player of the Month, especially because we wanted to bounce back from the Champions League disappointment. Manchester United's French forward Eric Cantona was named player of the month in March 1996 . Emmanuel Petit is pictured with another Frenchman, Arsene Wenger. He won the award in April 1998 . Nicolas Anelka won the award twice: with Arsenal in February 1999 and then with Chelsea in 2008 . Louis Saha's performances for Fulham saw him crowned as the month's best player in August 2001 . England - 88 . France - 16 . Holland - 15 . Spain - 8 . Republic of Ireland, Wales - 6 . Portugal - 5 . Argentina, Nigeria - 4 . Brazil, Italy, Scotland, Trinidad and Tobago - 3 . Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Finland, Ghana, Russia, Senegal, Sweden, Uruguay - 2 . Australia, Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Costa Rica, Croatia, Germany, Iceland, Jamaica, Paraguay, Serbia, Turkey - 1 . 'That's what we've done and we've come back really strongly. We all want to finish strongly and this award will give me more confidence for the following games.' Giroud averaged a goal every 72 minutes throughout March, and his excellent levels of performance are no change for the French on English shores. Aside from the Arsenal contributions,  Ginola, Louis Saha, Anelka (for Chelsea) and Florent Malouda have all been named as the player of the month at some point during their spells in England. Spanish, Irish, Welsh, Portuguese, Argentine and Nigerian players have all done well too, but every country aside from England and Holland have, at most, half the number France have. And to make the point of their dominance even more, look to European rivals Germany. They have had just one winner, the first: Jurgen Klinsmann in 1994. Sylvain Wiltord's early season form saw him claim the player of the month prize in August 2002 for Arsenal . Another Frenchman playing for Arsenal, Robert Pires, was a winner in February 2003 at Highbury . Florent Malouda was the second of two French winners coming from Chelsea when he won in March 2010 . Samir Nasri's time at Arsenal ended acrimoniously but he was the player of the month in December 2010 .
target: Olivier Giroud won March's Premier League player of the month award .
  He is the 16th French winner of the top flight's monthly accolade .
  France are the award's most successful foreign nation ahead of Holland .
  Eric Cantona, Thierry Henry and Nicolas Anelka have all won the prize .