The midfielder replaced Isco Alarcón after 60 minutes of a 1-0 win over Getafe at La Cartuja, a result that lifted Real Betis to third in LaLiga thanks to Abde Ezzalzouli's goal just before half-time.
Speaking in the mixed zone afterwards, Ceballos said: "A reunion after a long time, but the most important thing is the victory."
"It's a special day for me because of how the fans have received me and I'm very happy. The wait has been long, it's true, longer than it could have been, but I'm very happy above all for the three points, because the fans have responded the way I thought they would and, truth be told, now it's my turn to repay their trust on the pitch," he added.
The 30-year-old agreed to rejoin Betis on the last day of the summer window, signing until 2029 as a free agent after leaving Real Madrid. It was his first appearance in front of the Betis faithful since he left for the Bernabéu in 2017, a spell that included two seasons on loan at Arsenal.
He sees a club that has moved on since his departure.
"I feel very happy. The club is growing by leaps and bounds. I left a great club, but now Betis are, for me, a giant of Spain. We have to keep our feet on the ground, have respect for all the other teams, but we have a quite competitive team; with 25 players who are in a spectacular rhythm and, above all, who are very well accompanied by what the manager tells us day to day. Happy to be here and, little by little, getting my sensations back. It's not easy for me," Ceballos insisted.
He admitted he was unsure what to expect from the stands.
"To tell you the truth, from this return I take away the affection of the people. I knew there would be applause, but I had some doubts about whether there might be whistles. I feel good, very comfortable and with a lot of confidence, from my team-mates, from the manager, and what happened today confirms above all that it's also from the fans."
Manuel Pellegrini has eased him in from the bench. Ceballos replaced Isco at Villarreal on Monday and completed all 20 of his passes, and Pellegrini made the same swap against Getafe.
Ceballos also believes he has changed as a player and as a person.
"On a personal level I'm completely different. I have very good emotional stability, a lovely family… I think it's a totally different Dani Ceballos from the one who left. On the football side, I think I was a player who could play in different positions, now I find myself much more comfortable in the double pivot or even behind the striker. I think I've arrived at the best time for a footballer, at 30, with experience and from now on all I have to do is work to give my best version," he said.
Asked about the Ballon d'Or, he backed fellow Betis academy graduate Fabián Ruiz, who won the Champions League with Paris Saint-Germain and the World Cup with Spain and is among this year's 30 nominees.
"There's a big fuss about that. Fabián, at a collective level, has won practically everything and if Fabián doesn't win it, let Kylian Mbappé win it."
Betis visit Deportivo La Coruña on Sunday before a three-week break, which Ceballos sees as a chance to catch up physically.
"Right now I've got seven or eight training sessions with the team and 30 minutes of a match. I'm at 70%, but now there's a break in which I'll be able to build up training and a friendly that I'll be able to play a bit more. From there, we'll see the best version of Dani Ceballos," he said.