Arsenal captain Laurent Koscielny is proud to have made a winning comeback after last night's Europa League victory over Qarabag.

It was a highly-charged, emotional moment for Koscielny, a far cry from the agony of May 3 this year when his season - and World Cup - was ended by a ruptured Achilles.

“I'm proud of myself," said the captain. “You know in rehab it's difficult to be injured, because when you start rehab you have to re-learn how to walk, how to go step by step on the stairs, and it's difficult at the beginning, because you look like you can't be back on the pitch.

“But with the people who worked with me and helped me every day, I gave 100 per cent to be back every day and to progress every day. Then when I came back here [to Arsenal] everyone pushed me hard to work. It's OK - I like to work! So I gave more for this and now I have the result for all the effort I made over seven months.

“It's been difficult but you learn a lot about yourself, about the people you have around you. Now it's the end of my rehab - I have my smile back and I will enjoy it with my club. I will start my season now."