"I have gone through a couple of years now with injuries but nights like this put things like that far behind and you don't have to worry about it any more," he said.
"I have had a lot of support over the past couple of months. A lot of people have had a go at me and criticised me over my injuries but I just went out there and did it.
"The Champions League final a few years ago was the biggest game in my club career. I came off injured. It then became one of the biggest comebacks in football history and I wasn't a part of that. But I got through it and I got over it and I always hoped there were better things to come around the corner. This was that game. It all paid off."