RONALD Koeman has created his own slice of Saints history by winning the Premier League manager of the month award for January.

He has become the club’s first manager to win the award three times.

Koeman first lifted the award in September 2014 and repeated the feat in January 2015.

Now, a year on, he has won the January silverware again.

The Dutchman beat fellow nominees Mauricio Pochettino (Tottenham), Manuel Pellegrini (Manchester City) and Slaven Bilic (West Ham).

Saints banked nine points from their four games in January – a loss at Norwich followed by wins against Watford, West Bromwich Albion and Manchester United - compared to Pellegrini’s eight and seven each for Pochettino and Bilic.

Award The first Saints boss to win the manager of the month award – which was started at the beginning of the Premier League’s second season, 1993/94 – was Dave Merrington in April 1996.

Merrington was sacked a few weeks later.

His successor, Graeme Souness, became the first Saints boss to win the award twice.

Helped by a 6-3 win over Manchester United, he first won it in October 1996 and again in April 1997.

Gordon Strachan was the next Saints boss to receive the award, in January 2002.

The Scot won it again the following December.

Harry Redknapp was the March 2005 winner, just two months before Saints were relegated from the top flight.

Pochettino won it in October 2014.

Koeman still has some way to go to equal Sir Alex Ferguson’s total of Premier League monthly awards - the Manchester United legend won a staggering 27 awards!

Next best is Arsene Wenger with 15 with David Moyes the only other manager in double figures (10).

Martin ONeill and Redknapp have both won the award eight times.

Sam Allardyce, Bobby Robson and Rafael Benitez have collected six awards.

Saints defender Virgil van Dijk had been shortlisted for the Premier League Player of the Month award for January.

He was part of a defence which conceded just one goal in four league games He was nominated alongside Sunderland’s Jermain Defoe, Manchester City’s Sergio Aguero, Liverpool’s Roberto Firmino, Tottenham’s Deli Alli and Leicester’s Kasper Schmeichel.

Aguero took the award after a month in which he scored five goals.