Thiago Alcantara said his Bayern Munich comeback was "like a new life" after coming on as a substitute in the 1-0 victory at Dortmund after 371 days on the sidelines.
The midfielder sustained a knee injury in March last year and suffered several major setbacks on his comeback trail.
On Saturday, he was brought on as a 69th minute substitute for captain Philipp Lahm and helped his side secure all three points at the Westfalenstadion.
"It's a new start to my life, my life as a footballer," the 23-year-old told reporters after the match.
"It's incredible. I want to thank everyone -- the club, the coaches and my teammates. They've given me tremendous support.
"The fans helped me and they chanted my name. It was an emotional moment and I'm very happy.
"Some people think football is only a game. But when you see how emotional the fans were, you know football is life.
Thiago, a protégé of Bayern coach Pep Guardiola, added: "It was tough at times. You start counting the months you've missed. But I battled away, and now I'm happy."
Guardiola urged Bayern to sign his former Barcelona player after moving to the Bundesliga in 2013.
Speaking at the postmatch news conference, he said: "He had bad luck, bad luck again and more bad luck after that. He's back now. That's great news for us."
Bayern CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge said he was "especially happy about Thiago's comeback" and added: "When he has the ball at his feet, there's a certain effortless elegance. He's great to watch."