Joel Campbell says he is thankful for the warm reception given to him by the Olympiakos fans as he received a standing ovation following his impressive display in Arsenal’s 3-0 victory.

The Costa Rica international was a popular figure in Athens when he spent a year on loan with the Greek giants in 2013/14; a spell which finally persuaded Arsene Wenger to include the young attacker in his Gunners first team squad.

Speaking to UEFA.com after his triumphant return to the Karaiskakis Stadium, Campbell reflected: “I am very happy to be back. I am grateful to the fans of Olympiacos for their friendliness and warm reaction towards me, it was very touching.”

On a memorable night in Europe, Campbell, who set up Olivier Giroud’s second goal, played a vital role for the Gunners as they secured the winning margin needed to secure safe passage from the group stage.

“It was a tough match, in special circumstances as we needed to score at least twice to advance,” he added.

“That is far from easy against Olympiacos, as they are a strong side, especially in front of their fans. But we played a mature game from the start and got what we wanted. This season’s group stage, having our back against the wall most of the time, should serve as a lesson for the future. No group is easy and lack of focus can be punished.”

Campbell also took a moment to dedicate the victory to Arsenal’s many injured players: “It was important for the rest of the players to step up and take more responsibility. In a way, we played for them tonight and hope to have them with us in the next stages of the competition.”

A nice touch from Joel…something he demonstrated with aplomb last night as his twinkle toes bamboozled the Olympiacos defence after half time. More of that please.