Olivier Giroud insists lingering comparisons with Karim Benzema have not fuelled his impressive scoring run for France.
Giroud’s brace in Sunday’s 5-2 Euro 2016 quarter-final victory over Iceland took him to 10 goals in his past nine starts for Les Bleus.
Benzema’s international exile due to being under investigation for his part in an alleged plot to blackmail France team-mate Mathieu Valbuena left Arsenal's Giroud as Didier Deschamps' first-choice striker - a status that has not always rested easily with critics and fans alike.
The 29-year-old was booed during a pre-Euro 2016 friendly against Cameroon, despite scoring in the match, while his team-mates and coach have regularly been forced to defend Giroud’s presence in the side throughout the tournament.
Asked whether he welcomed there being no more talk of Benzema the morning after victory over Iceland, the former Montpellier player offered a measured response.
"No, no - I admit I don't really think about that," he told a news conference at France's Clairefontaine training base. "I'm thinking about the team and the objectives of the game.
