Derbyshire revels in Greek odyssey as he awaits Champions League bow

The nation awaits Jose Mourinho versus Chelsea in Milan tomorrow, but for one Englishman the Champions League explodes into life on Tuesday.Matt Derbyshire has waited through a season blighted by injury to make his debut in Europe's top club competition for Olympiakos against Bordeaux in Piraeus, the Athenian port he has called home for a year and where the fans embrace him as an adopted son. All hail: Matt Derbyshire is firmly established as a fan favourite'I scored twice the other week,' says Derbyshire. 'But people whostopped me in the streets still wanted to talk about the Cup Final wewon last season.'They said, 'You'll always be in our hearts for winning us the Cup'. I don't really think of it that way. The team won the Cup, not me, but it was nice to score those goals.'It was a night I'll never forget and a night the fans will never forget. But it was the start of my injury problems.'Derbyshire ventured from Blackburn to the Aegean coast in January last year, initially on loan, but he quickly became a local hero by firing Olympiakos to a League and Cup double with eight goals in 11 games. He signed permanently in the summer.Coming off the bench at half-time in the Hellenic Cup Final with his team trailing AEK Athens 2-0, the former England Under-21 striker scored twice, his second a stoppage-time equaliser to make it 3-3 and force extra-time. Home from home: Derbyshire has impressed despite a series of injuries Olympiakos won 15-14 on penalties but he had been sidelined again by then with a groin injury and concussion.'I'd been clobbered and I was seeing treble,' says Derbyshire.Butit would be the groin issue which kept him out for seven months. Ahernia operation did not solve the problem, but a series of injectionsinto his pelvic area did. 'It was my first real long-terminjury. I went through four courses of 27 injections into my pubicarea, which was every bit as painful as it sounds. I'm grateful to beplaying again.'I was out for seven months, so it's been difficult but I'm excited, full of energy and relishing training.'I'd like to think I haven't forgotten where the net is but I don't want to curse myself.'Derbyshire, 23, has scored twice in three games on his return, whichhas coincided with his team's recovery at the top of the Greek League.Olympiakos, champions for 12 of the last 13 years, were trailing their fierce rivals Panathinaikos by eight points at one stage and had four managers, including Temuri Ketsbaia and Zico, in nine months. Champion: Derbyshire raises Greek Cup at the end his first full season'The fans were not happy with the start to the season and you can understand their feelings but they never turned against us,' says Derbyshire. 'They thought the title was over but they'd say, 'All we want you to do is beat Panathinaikos'.'It was the passion of the Olympiakos fans which convinced this Lancashire lad, who started his career in non-league before signing for Blackburn, the club he supported all his life, to take the chance to play in Greece.Derbyshire said: 'There comes a time when you know you have to move on and that time had come. Playing for a club like Olympiakos, winning trophies, reaching the Champions League and playing in front of amazing fans was too good to resist.'They are so passionate. You are living their dream and they will push and push to the end if they think they can help you.'The Karaiskakis Stadium will be a frenzy of noise when Bordeaux arrive on Tuesday.'The prospect of playing in the Champions League was important to me,' Derbyshire adds. 'I watched some of the classic finals and to think I might be able to tell my children I played in the same competition will make me very proud.' Blackburn 3 Bolton 0: Big Sam shows Coyle how it's done in derby delightArsenal have a goalkeeper crisis but ex-Gunner Jens Lehmann still walks tallFormer Blackburn and Leicester striker Paul Dickov joins Leeds on trialBLACKBURN ROVERS FC

Source: Daily_Mail