Newport County captain Andy Sandell has claimed that former teammate Chris Zebroski can revive his career once he has served his prison sentence.
The Welsh club terminated the 28-year-old's contract this week after he was jailed for four years and four months for committing two assaults.
Sandell told BBC Sport: "It has [affected the players] because he was so well liked in the camp. He'll still have a good few years to get his career back on track.
"He's lucky, he's just naturally fit, so he could do nothing for two years and probably still go for a three-mile run. Knowing him, he'll keep his head down, do his time and come out all guns blazing, hopefully in a couple of years."
Zebroski joined the League Two club from Eastleigh in 2013.