Johan is a record-breaker

24/12/07 - 13:59

With seven goals in five matches, the Toulouse striker Johan Elmander has won the LFP Striker of the Month award for December. It's a new monthly record total for Ligue 1.

To land the award, given in conjunction with France 2 Foot, Le Parisien and Aujurd'Hui magazine, Elmander made a flying start to his month withy a hat-trick against Bordeaux. He also scored twice against PSG, and once in the games against Lille and Nancy. Nearest to him, with a more modest three goals each, were Wendel of Bordeaux and Marseille's Mamadou Niang, who each scored three.

Swedish international Elmander is rhe first Toulouse player to receive the award, his tally of seven beating the previous Ligue 1 record of six, by John Utaka - now playing with Portsmouth in the English Premier League - who scored six times for Rennes during February 2006.

Elmander joined Toulouse at the start of last season and scored 11 goals in 32 games. This season he already has 10 in 15 matches. He started his career at Holmanlunds in Sweden in the 1997/98 season and subsequently played for another Swedish club, Orgryte, then Feyenoord in Holland, back to Sweden with Djurgardens before returning to Holland with NAC Breda. He was back in Sweden again, playing for Brondby, when Toulouse signed him.