Eintracht Frankfurt defender Marco Russ said he felt overwhelmed after returning to the team following his recovery from testicular cancer.
Russ, 31, was diagnosed with the illness last May and, after undergoing surgery and treatment, was given the all-clear by doctors in October.
Having resumed training in January, he returned to the pitch on Tuesday when he was brought on for the final minutes of the 1-0 DFB Pokal win over second-tier Arminia Bielefeld.
Russ was greeted with a huge ovation and told reporters: "It was a very emotional moment for me after such a long and difficult time.
Ein ganz großer #Moment!
Willkommen zurück Marco #Russ! #SGE pic.twitter.com/p9B1qhc2ny- Eintracht Frankfurt (@Eintracht) February 28, 2017
"I wasn't nervous when the coach signalled to me to get ready, I just enjoyed the atmosphere.
"It was important for me that all those helping me through the difficult time -- my family, my wife -- were in the stadium.
"I was really happy that I was able to share this moment with them."
Frankfurt coach Niko Kovac told the club's official website he was "delighted that Marco was part of the Eintracht family on the pitch again."
